Dark Wind
by Hype
Summary: *CHAPTER 9 IS UP!!! (writer`s block ended)* D/Hr romance... Possibily some changes in the pairing later. Anywho, this story has dungeons, cells, castles, spells, love, war, exchanges, disguises, tricks, suspicions, theories, sex, kisses, and (of course)
1. In the Beginning

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter One***

**by Ashley**

  
  
  
  


****Draco looked at himself in the mirror, almost despising himself. But why? He was, afterall, as handsome as any man could wish to be. He had silvery blonde hair, an excellent build, a flawless complexion, and eyes that shamed the blue sky. Actually, his eyes changed color frequently from silver to gray to the stunning blue color. He also found that whenever he got mad, his eyes would become and eerie, almost glowing, bright purple.

  
  


He stared at himself square in the large antique mirror. He knew very well why he nearly despised himself- he was the heir to the Dark Lord`s throne. His father, Lucious Malfoy, had long arranged plans for him. So many plans; all of which Draco inwardly detested.

  
  


_He expects me to fill Lord Voldemort`s place, continue the Malfoy name and become betrothed to the shrew-of-a-girl Pansy Parkinson. HA. It will be the last day I live where my father puts Pansy in my bed and tries to get me to rule the Dark Empire. I despise all that is my burden and most of all, my father. I am twenty two years old and four years out of Hogwarts. I can very well make my own decisions._

  
  


__Draco Malfoy gave a finally distinctive nod at his mirrored self and stepped out of his enormous bed chambers. He was going to Hogsmeade to get something new in his life before it was over.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Hermione sat in the Three Broomsticks lazily trying to hold a conversation with Ginny Weasly. She would have preferred talking to Harry or Ron, but neither was available at the moment.

  
  


As Ginny babbled on about her new column in Witch Weekly, Hermione looked into her butterbeer, reflecting on what had happened earlier that day. She had been fired from her job as a cashier at Flourish and Blotts. She, Hermione Granger, Head Girl of her class, was an _unemployed_ underachiever. She sighed miserably.

  
  


Ginny must have noticed her depression and stopped talking about her column. "What`s the matter, Hermi?" she implied.

  
  


Hermione collapsed her head onto the table. "I`m a failure..." she mumbled sadly, "I got fired today..."

  
  


Ginny took instant sympathy. She patted Hermione`s arm and said, "You`re not a failure, Herm. You`re just a winner who got pointed in the wrong direction.

  
  


This did not help Hermione. She broke into sobs and all in between, things like "Head Girl and all..." "Miserable person..." "I never should have" and "the shame of the wizarding community..." could be heard.

Just then, Madam Rosemerta, the owner of the pub, came by to fill up their drinks. Taking a cautious glance at Hermione, she said , "Oh my, dear, what is the matter?"

  
  


"She got fired." Ginny stated plainly. Hermione`s head lifted, revealing her scorning brown eyes directed angrily at Ginny. She sighed in exasperation, laying her head upon the table once more.

  
  


Rosemerta placed a comforting arm around the sobbing heap that was Hermione. "Is there anything I can do, dear?"

  
  


"Not unless you can get me a job..." she cried.

  
  


"Now, it just so happens that I need a bartender. Old Bernie Welsh retired today. How would you like to be the Three Broomstick`s new bartender?"

  
  


Hermi`s head shot up. "Really?"

  
  


She nodded, smiling. "You can start today!"

  
  


Hermione was so happy that she nearly knocked her butterbeer over while getting up out of her seat. She quickly said goodbye to Ginny. Ginny nodded and explained she was late for an appointment anyway.

  
  


Not more than a half hour later on the job she met tons of new people and reacquainted herself with some old. These people included Parvati and her third husband, Lee Jordan, Lavender, Cho, Hagrid and his wife Maxime, the Weasly twins who owned a joke shop just down a block, and Sirius Black whom she had a wonderful chat with.

  
  
  
  


It was getting late and people were leaving constantly. Soon, there where only two people left who seemed to be engulfed in a very serious game of poker.

  
  


Just when she was about to close the bar, the bell on the door rang and in walked a strikingly handsome young man who seemed vaguely familiar.

  
  


He sat down at the bar. "Hey bartender," he said, not looking up from the wine menu in front of him, "I`ll have a scotch." She nodded and made him one. When she set it in front of him he looked up at her curiously.

  
  


"You seem very familiar," he stated, taking a sip from his scotch.

  
  


"As do you." she said stiffly, making her own scotch. She wasn`t supposed to be drinking on the job. However, it was after hours so she figured it wouldn`t matter.

  
  


"Let me see..." he pondered, studying her. "Brown eyes...curly alburn brown hair...not too tall... Nah, couldn`t be."

  
  


"Couldn`t be what?"

  
  


Her sighed. "Oh, and old school enemy- Hermione Granger. Perhaps you know her?"

  
  


"Oh, yes. Very well indeed."

  
  


"Do you? How is that Little Miss Perfect? Is she Headmistress yet?"

  
  


"Oh, she`s not doing as well as you may think."

"And why the bloody not? She has everything. Brain wise, anyway."

  
  


"You are terribly mistaken. She believes herself to be an underachiever."

  
  


"Her? An underachiever? As I recall, she was always top student. Head Girl of our class. And a Gryffindor, none the less."

  
  


"That is so. But she is that was presently. You see, I am Hermione Granger. An you, you are Draco Malfoy."

  
  


Draco nearly spat his scotch all over himself. He stared at her in disbelief. "You? Granger?"

  
  


"I`m afraid so..."

  
  


"BUT YOU LOOK SO DIFFERENT!" he bellowed.

  
  


"Yeah, I know. You too..."

  
  


"Married Potter yet?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Have you married that little prat? He`s the head of the Light Side and you`re a _bartender_? What a bloody arse! You didn`t have his kids, did you?"

  
  


Hermione tried to keep her calm. "No, I didn`t marry him. Nor do I have his children."

  
  


"So, you do have children? Are you married? To whom? What does he do?" he asked, finishing off his scotch.

  
  


"I am NOT married-"

  
  


"Are you a single mother?"

_"NO!"_

"Go on, then."

  
  


"I do NOT have any children. I am single... I don`t even remember the last time I had a date..."

  
  


"YOU? Not remember? As I remember, in our seventh year, you had the boys from all houses swooning over you. You dated most of them; a different one every week or so."

  
  


"Don`t you dare insult me, Malfoy. You were just as bad as me!"

  
  


"Why shouln`t I insult you? You made my life a miserable hell. I always was complained about at home for not having the highest marks. My father... well, he..." Draco looked up from his empty scotch glass just in time to see Hermione run out the door. _Should I follow her?_ He asked himself, not sure what to do in a situation with an emotionally imbalanced woman running away from him. He bit his lip nervously...

  
  


Hermione ran to the bridge over looking the small river just behind the infamous pub. She looked down from the bridge`s great height and wondered if she should jump. It would be easy...

_What am I thinking?_ Hermione`s mind screamed. Her eyes were flooded with tears. _Maybe I should jump..._ she thought, trying to convince herself. _After all, what do I have? I haven`t even seen Harry Potter in two years since he became an Unspeakable. I wonder what he does in that office he works in... where ever it is... or if he even works in an office? And Ron...Well, what is there to say about Ron? He was living his life on the road as a single and famous comedian. _ The last time she saw him was when he stopped by her little apartment before leaving for a tour through Great Britan. _And I, Hermione Granger, straight-A student and Head Girl, am a newly hired bartender. My only friends are disgustingly famous and who knows where they are...To make matters even worse, Draco Malfoy, my enemy, just strolled in on the first day of my new job and begins to insult me,_ she thought.

  
  


She sobbed even harder, not wiping the tears away. Her tears filled her eyes so much her vision became blurred. She heard someone coming up behind her and, not looking or caring who it was, turned around, grabbed hold of them and cried into their chest.


	2. The Malfoy Masion

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Two***

**by Ashley**

**NOTE: _PLEASE_ give me some reviews! Flames are welcome, though I do not pay much attention to them.:) -Ashley **

_It was dark and cold. I could feel the wet grass beneath my bare feet as I shivered in fear. I was wearing a dress I did not recognize- though it was obviously very expensive. Looking around, though it was almost in vain for it was night, I thought I saw a tall, dark figure approaching me. I could feel its energy surging as it neared me. The feeling in my stomach was not explainable (or even comprehendible). It was of some slight fear at first, but then I realized who it was. When my suspicions were confirmed as the figure took me into his strong arms, a burst of emotion vibrated my entire body. It seemed as such an intense love that made me dizzy yet wonderfully stable and in perfect peace and balance. Hugging tighter into his muscular chest, lightning bolted across the sky. Suddenly, I was ripped away from my supposed lover by an immense force. It felt as though my heart had been ripped from my body as my lover`s agonizing and horror-filled scream pierced my ears...._

  
  


Hermione was jerked awake from her dream, breathless. She panted and looked around 

where she was, shocked not to find it being her messy little apartment and not sleeping on her cozy half-broken couch.

  
  


Rather, it was quite the opposite. She was laying in a very large and lavishly decorated bed. The room was equally ornate with an enormous fireplace in which logs were burning, casting a dim shadow across the massive room.

  
  


Hermione was in complete awe. She had no idea where she was. She didn`t even remember how she had come to be here. _Wait, _she thought, _last night I was crying and I grabbed onto something- no, someone- and... I don`t know._ She looked down at herself and saw that she was in something recognizable- the clothes she had worn earlier. _Someone must have taken me her. Probably the person I was crying on. But who was I crying on?_ she pondered.

  
  


She didn`t know, but she was itching to find out. It wasn`t everyday you`re in a house like this; or even a room like this for that matter. But first she needed to change her clothes. It was a shame, she realized, there was none to change into. Then, on the fireplace mantel, she spotted a beautiful red silk dress with a small sign that read " Hermione " on it.

  
  


She walked across the room, picked up the beautiful dress and looked at the tag. It certainly was her size- a little size four. She was always amazed at her petite size, for she was constantly eating food she knew she shouldn`t. Never the less, she was pleased and changed into the flowing silf gown. 

  
  


She gave herself a once-over in the large antique mirror and marveled at her reflection. Never in her life was something so gorgeous on her body- making herself look even more beautiful.

  
  


She awoke from the dream-like figure in the mirror. She was anxious to find out who jad brought her here. She walked to the door with a bit of a bounce in her step from the excitement building up in her. She opened the massive, 15-foot-high mahogany doors and realized that finding the person would be much harder than she thought. 

There were four different ways she could choose to go; all of which had long hallways she couldn`t see the end of. To make matters worse, each hallway was lined with doors just as hers, only about five or so feet shorter. She sighed in exasperation._ This wasn`t going to be easy..._

  
  
  
  


Draco Malfoy sat in a tall-backed chair by the fire in his gigantic library reading an extremely thick book of famous muggle stories, plays and poems, occasionally glancing at the fire slowly burning before him. He marked his page and closed the book, sending it back to the shelf with a swift movement from his finger.

  
  


Draco was so magically powerful now that her didn`t have a need to use his wand. However, he kept it safely locked up in one of his many vaults in Gringotts. Not only had he no need for a wand, but he didn`t have to say the words to get the affect he wanted. He simply had to think it.

  
  


_Hermione should be here very soon,_ he thought. He was right, of course. Within ten minutes he could feel her walking down the long hallway which lead you to the staircase leading to the library. When she reached the last step of the staircase, she asked, "Who`s there?"

  
  


"What`s it to you?" he said before her could catch himself. He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. He really didn`t want to be mean to her. He was tired of bickering over senseless things with her. It almost tore his heart that he was so mean to her while she was so irresistibly nice. 

  
  


Now, after years of Hogwarts, he saw her in a whole new light. He was almost positive he fancied her more than any other girl he ever had. This was probably because she was extremely intelligent instead of a fickle girl who only liked men for their looks, money and power. Plus, she had her own mind in which she fully controled.

  
  


Draco found this as a turn-on for women who were like that were dominant. This made them even more desirable because if you could dominate them, you feel as though you could concur the world. He wanted one thing at this moment. One thing in which he, for a first, was not confident enough to ask for: Hermione Granger. He actually wanted Hermione Granger. Not just physically but emotionally as well. He only had physical and forced relationships in the past. Not the emotionally intense ones he secretly hoped for.

  
  


Draco half-way cleared his thoughts as he sensed Hermione`s nervousness. He got up from his chair and turned around to face her. 

  
  


Hermione gasped- it was Draco Malfoy! Her thoughts were flooded with thoughts. _Why did he take me here? Where am I, anyways? Was I crying into _his_ chest?!_ She thought nervously. Suddenly, she wasn`t excited anymore. On the contrary, she was rather frightened. 

  
  


"What happened?" she asked subconsciously, not even comprehending it was her who had asked.

  
  


He silently walked across the room towards her, stopping a foot or so away from her, giving them both a shocked pleasure. Hermione looked up from her 5`4 frame to his masculine and very tall body. He was unmistakably handsome, she noticed. He sure had changed from his pointy, elfish face and nearly anorexic body... Her legs suddenly felt like jello under his collected blue gaze.

  
  


"You ran out of the Three Broomsticks crying. I figured the only decent thing to do was to follow you and try to talk nicely to you after I insulted you in such a manner. I never got to say sorry though, you flung yourself on to my chest and cried yourself to sleep. I couldn`t just leave you there; so I brought you here, to my house." he stated with an air of confidence.

Hermione was dumfounded. "This is _your_ house?" she asked in awe.

Draco nodded. "The Malfoy Manor. It`s been in the family for years. My father gave it to me after I graduated from Hogwarts." Hermione nodded, still no sure what to say or do.

Draco took a step closer to Hermione and looked down into her eyes. He cupped his hand under her chin and tilted her head to where she was looking into his own. She began to tremble, still not sure what was happening in the blur of circumstances.

_I want to kiss her_, he thought._ NO! What am I doing?! This is my enemy before me, not my girlfriend!_ He withdrew from her, his breath a bit uneven, and walked across the room. He leaned against a library shelf, his back to her. He sighed. _If she is as smart as she was in school, she knows what I`m thinking...._

Hermione stood there staring at the butt of her arch nemesis helplessly. _What is happening to me? To him? He hates me, right? But still...I could`ve sworn I saw something flicker behind those cold sham-less eyes. But then again, maybe not._ She sighed._ He has an excellent butt, _she thought, then mentally slapping herself for thinking so.

"Thank you for the dress," she called. 

He shrugged, bringing his broad shoulders up and letting them down again. "It was the only thing I could find in your size."

_My size?_ She asked herself, baffled. _How does he know my size? _"Well, thank you. It`s lovely." He nodded. "Well, I`m going back to bed."

He turned around. "Where?"

"Excuse me ?"

"Where are you sleeping?"

"Erm..In the room I woke up in, I suppose."

"Fine, then. I`ll sleep in another room."

Hermione`s brown eyes grew wide. "That`s _your _room?"

"Well, yes..."

"It`s beautiful."

"Yes, I know."

Hermione blushed and started up the stairs.

"Well, good night then," he called up after her.

"Good night!" she said, smiling back at him. She was liking this nicer Malfoy.

  
  
  
  


She was dreaming again...She was in her lover`s arms. Lighting struck and a dark force pulled her from him. It felt as though her heart had been ripped from her body as she heard her lover`s piercing scream...and she began to scream as well.

Draco jumped from his chair and apparated into his large dormitory. He rushed over to the bed Hermione was on and sat down on it. He held her, trying to soothe her. She awoke and looked up at him. They said nothing except "Bad dream..." which Hermione had managed to choke out. Malfoy nodded and drew her closer to him as tiny tremors pulsed through his body. He realized, slowly but surely, that her and Hermione had touched more this night then they had in the last eleven years. She had slapped him once in their third year. But still, it had been the only time they had touched. And oh, how he longed for more.

Once again he tilted her head up to him, determined to kiss her this time. It was her who slowly pulled away.

"I can`t..." she muttered sadly.

"Why not?" he asked, confused. All seemed well according to him.

"I-I`d be..be fraternizing with the enemy..." she said, just barely above a whisper.

"So what?" he said, drawing her nearer. Hermione gave into him as his lips touched hers. They were so soft and warm for such and enemy, Hermione mused.

The kiss deepened and Draco pried her mouth open, his toung invading hers. Hermione flung her arms around him and held him closer.

Draco Malfoy had never known he could want somebody so badly before. Sure, he had kissed (numerous times, at that), but it never made him feel like this- all warm and tingly inside and out. He shivered as he felt the contours of her body against his chest and began to kiss her a bit more passionately.

No, he certainly never had a kiss like that. All of the kisses he both gave and received were stiff and forced, more abusing than loving. It was the happiest moment of his life. Hermione suddenly pulled away with a frown on her face. To him, this seemed to rank among the worst moments of his life... "What`s wrong?"

"You`re him." she stated blankly, looking down.

"What?"

Her eyes met his this time. "You`re the lover in my dream,' she said, pronouncing each word carefully.

"I am? What dream?"

"The one that made me scream."

Draco nodded, not sure if he liked where this was going. "Oh...How do you know?"he asked nervously.

"In made dream, someone made me feel like you just did..." she blushed furiously.

"Well, that`s good. Isn`t it?" he asked. 

She nodded, then shook her head when she remembered the dream`s ending. He raised a confused eyebrow. "In the end of the dream," she continued, " I was taken by some very dark force... and it hurt. It hurt so badly being taken away from you that I screamed. It felt as though my heart had been ripped form my body- literally...I screamed. You screamed also."

He sighed. "That doesn`t sound like a very good dream. Perhaps it was just a dream; nothing else. It was just a dream." He smiled and held her around her waist.

"You know, Hermione, So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle gently entwist the ivy so enrings the barky fingers of the elm."

Hermione smiled ruefully up at him. "Shakespeare... So the Slytherin King does have a soft spot for muggles," she teased.

Draco laughed and said sheepishly, "Just a wee bit..."

She returned the smile and added, "You know, I reckon I`m falling for you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Oh, I do hope so!"

  
  


**Disclaimer: You know the drill... I don`t own any of the characters or named mentioned. They are owned by J.K.Rowling and her publishers and sponsors. Yada yada yada...**

  
  
  
  



	3. A Little Visit

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Three***

**by Ashley**

  
  


**NOTE: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! However, some of you aren`t playing your part. I got 200 hits and 20 reviews on Ch.1, 98 hits and 10 reviews for Ch.2. We`re going to play a game for are the people who are too chicken to fill out a review. I CHALLENGE EVERY PERSON READING THIS TO FILL OUT A REVIEW (may it be good or bad).**

  
  


The new lovers that were once enemies stayed up until the wee hours of the morning catching up on post-Hogwarts events before they fell asleep in each other`s arms.

It was Draco who awoke first by his room`s massive doors slamming shut. Hermione was awoken nearly a split second later by a very shrill and twice as loud, "DRACO!"

Both Draco and Hermione shot straight up in the bed. Draco muttered "Oh shit..." as Hermione spotted Pansy Parkinson by the door of Draco`s dormitory.

"DON`T YOU "OH SHIT" ME, YOU BASTARD!" Pansy barked. Hermione`s eyes darted between Pansy and Draco, extemely confused.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she continued as Malfoy got out of bed an changed into some new clothes. Hermione tried *really* hard not to stare at Draco`s body as he freely changed next to the bed. But she tried in vain for it seemed as though her eyes were magnetized to his magnificent structure. She snapped back to reality when Pansy`s shrill screams floated towards her ears.

"HOW DARE YOU BRING SOME GIRL INTO YOUR BED! I`M YOUR FIANCÉ FOR CHRIST`S SAKE!" Draco and Hermione froze. Hermione felt now terribly wretched...She was with Draco while he was engaged to someone else...

"Y-you...you're my...my WHAT?!" Draco stuttered.

"YOU HEARD ME!" she thundered. Draco jumped back a tad, surprised such a loud sound could come from such a tiny creature. She continued in the same ear-piercing tone, "F-I-A-N-C-E! FIANCÉ! WE WERE BETROTHED, YOU KNOW! JUST TWO DAYS AGO! UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WERE NOT THERE!" she then glared at Hermione and added maliciously, "And now I know why..."

Draco shook with rage. "DON`T YOU _DARE_ PUT THIS ON HER!" he yelled furiously. Hermione covered her ears; Draco was by far louder than Pansy.

"EXPLAIN!!!" Pansy demanded, stomping her foot so harshly onto the black marble floor that the heel of her shoe broke, but she didn`t seem to notice.

"I DON`T WANT TO MARRY YOU, PARKINSON!" Draco yelled in a military-like voice. "YOU ARE NOT THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION. _YOU NEVER WERE! AND YOU NEVER WILL BE!!!" _he shouted angrily. Pansy began to cry while Hermione stared at the fighting in shock; she didn`t dare say a word.

But Malfoy wasn`t finshed. "YOU ARE THE _BIGGEST_ DISGRACE OF MY LIFE NEXT TO MY FATHER! NO, YOU TWO ARE AN EVEN MATCH! To me, you are a MERE SHADOW in which I detest that follows me; HAUNTING ME WHEREVER I GO!" 

Pansy began to cry even more hysterically, which Hermione found hard to believe since she was already a sobbing heap in the floor.

"I DON`T WANT YOU IN MY LIFE! I _HATE _YOU, PANSY PARKINSON! NOW, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Draco finshed, then drawing a heavy breath from exhaustion.

Pansy knew that he seriously would kill her if she didn`t leave. But there was, of course, a revenge that would tear him so deeply that his soul would bleed; this Pansy knew. It was this that she would tell him. Something he was defenseless against...

"YOUR FATHER WILL KNOW OF THIS BY THIS TIME TOMORROW! Even _I_ acn imagine what _he`ll _do! He will probably kill your little mudblood lover infront of you, make you eat her entirely like a human cannibal and throw you in the dungeons where the rats will slowly eat you alive! Or, perhaps, he`ll will leave your fate up to Voldemort; which would be far worse of a punishment that even I can`t begin to imagine!" she screeched. With that, she apparated out of the room with a POP, leaving the heel of her shoe behind on the floor`s marble surface. (That was kinda gory, wasn`t it?)

Hermione grimaced at the thought of any of those things happening. She notice Draco now sitting on his sofa, his face in his hands, softly crying.

She got out of the bed and went over to the sofa, sitting down next to him. She held him in her arms as he collapsed into her lap, still crying. Hermione ran her fingers through his soft, silvery-blond hair and sang a long- forgotten lullaby.

"_A gentle breeze from Hushaby Mountain softly blows over Lullaby Bay. It fill the sails of boats that are waiting; waiting to sail you worries away. So close your eyes on Hushaby Mountain. Forget the sounds and tales of the day. And watch your boat from Hushaby Mountain sailing away from Lullaby Bay..."_

Draco had calmed down now and was gently stroking the silk material of Hermione`s dress over her long legs. His eyes were now a stunning blue that made Hermione`s heart do a flip in it`s place. He gently reached his hand up to her face and softly stroked her jaw line with the tips of his fingers. " I just realized how much in love with you I am," he whispered.

She smiled warmly at him. "Me too. Amazing, isn`t it?"

"Mmhmm..." he hummed as he drew closer to her face. "Amazing," was the last thing her said before her pulled he into and even more amazing kiss than ever before...They were in love. Completely, head-over-heels in love.

Hermione began to unbutton Draco`s shirt as he kissed her neck. When the shirt was completely off and thrown to the floor, she marveled at his muscles. She never really was one for muscles, but she certainly was now. She smoothed her hands over his chest and stomach thinking _this is going to be wonderful..._

And it was... It really, really was. After hours of the best love-making in their lives, the held each other in Draco`s enormous bed. Draco looked down at the sleeping Hermione clung to his chest. He was in a very dazed state. He could hardly believe he had fallen in love and slept with his arch nemesis. He also thought that he would be a bit more sullen after sleeping with a muggle-born; but he was quite the opposite in fact. He was floating on cloud nine.

He now knew who he would marry. It would be Hermione. He tested her soon-to-be name on his lips, "Hermione Malfoy." He smiled to himself. It wwas truly wonderful, he decided as he stroked her curly hair. "Hermione Malfoy..." he nodded. "It`s absolutely perfect.

He now started to ponder over how many kids they should have. He had always wanted to be a father and have lots of kids. He would not, of course, be like his father was. He would be the fun dad who played games, took you neat places and taught you cool things. Draco would very much like to have a dozen or so children. However, most wives would never agree to that number. They did, after all, have to birth them. He decided that four little tots would be just perfect. Of course, he would have to verify it with Hermione before they began child rearing.

He carefully untangle himself from Hermione, avoiding waking her up. He did it successfully and crept out of the room. 

  
  
  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I own none of this except for the plot. All characters belong to J.K.Rowling and her publishers and sponsors. Yada yada yada....**


	4. The Malfoys

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Four***

**By Ashley**

  
  


Hermione woke up to find herself alone in Draco`s bed. She hope he had not left. She flung the covers off herself and walked across the room to pick up the dress she had been wearing earlier. A smile crossed her face as she remembered how it came to be on the floor. Draco had thrown it off of her in a fit of passion as they headed towards the bed... Hermione smiled even wider. _Amazing_, she thought, _Simply wonderful._

She headed down the hallway towards the stairs in a bit more rumpled silk dress and the same dreamy expression Draco had worn. By the time she finished walking down the staircase, she began to search for her newly found lover. "Draco?" she called.

"Over here!" was the reply.

She frowned. "Over where? Draco, I don`t know my way around your house!" she laughed.

"The big doors on your left. I`m in the kitchen."

Hermione looked to her left. It was, unmistakably, the doors to the kitchen. She laughed at herself when she read the humongous sign on the oak French doors labeled "KITCHEN". She pushed the doors open. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight...

There he was, alright. Butt-naked with an apron of moons and stars tied around his waist; he was cooking pancakes. She looked around at the counter tops. They were a really big pile of cooking rubbish. Each counter was strewn with cooking utensils, boxes, flour, spices, herbs and countless other unrecognizable objects. 

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying hard not to laugh, but a giggle slipped through her throat unnoticed.

"I`m making you and I breakfast." he said innocently, turning his head over his shoulder. "Hope you like pancakes."

"I love them."

"Good. Almost finished. Why don`t you sit down at the table?"

"Okay." Hermione found (to her great relief) that the table was the only surface that had nothing on it. She sat down smiling as she watched him cook. "Honey? Why aren`t you wearing any clothes?"

"I didn`t feel like it."

"What is someone apparates here?"

"I don`t care. They can close their eyes, I suppose."

"I love you," she giggled.

"I never thought I would really say this, but I love you too," he said turning around. "Here`s your pancakes. Hope you like them," he added as he handed her plate full of pancakes.

She took a bit of one of her pancakes- it was delicious. "Draco," she started with her mouth rather full, " where did you learn how to make these? And in the muggle way?"

He smiled after he swallowed a bite of his own pancake. "My mother taught me. My father wasn`t one for food. My mother taught me everything about lifestyle. My father taught me all he knew about power, knowledge, and discipline." Draco frowned at the last few words. " I hate my father," he added finally.

"Well, no offense, but almost everyone does; myself included." Hermione said stiffly.

"You know, this apron is the only thing keeping me from you," Draco said with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Hermione dropped her fork, laughing. "Well, maybe that`s the problem!" Her eyes matched Draco`s perfectly, if not more, with mischief. 

"Are you making a pass at me?" He asked, taking a sip of his orange juice.

"Oh my, yes," she grinned.

_That was it; the apron flew to the floor..._

  
  


Pansy Parkinson had the roughest night of her life. She caught Draco cheating on her with some mudblood girl. And for the first time in her life she had a fight with Draco. She was oddly surprised at what an obnoxious verbal fighter he was. Pansy, who had years of verbal fighting experience, had thought she had a good shot at beating him. It was true, she did get the last word. However, she had never been so crushed by someone`s words before- let alone Draco`s. She had cried herself to sleep last night, repeating the scenes that took place earlier over and over again, making it her own living hell.

When she woke, she realized that she couldn`t just go and tell Mr. Malfoy what had happened. At least not until she had her morning cup of coffee, that is. 

Pansy had a very small house compaired to the Malfoy Manor. But then again, everyone had a smaller house compared to the Manor. Hell, the thing was a big as a bloody castle and was somewhat modeled after one. This was half the reason she wanted to marry Draco- he had money and lots of it.

The other half was power. Draco Malfoy was the heir of Lord Voldemort which meant an unspeakable amount of power. She too would have that power if she married Draco.She would be highly respected among the ranks of the wizarding community; she savored the very thought of it.

Also, she had fallen in love with him the first day she met him (or at least what she supposed was love). She got a giddy feeling whenever he was near her and blushed every time he kissed her. She even lost her virginity to him and the memory itself made her insides squirm. It had been the most exotic night of her life- even though she knew very well that Draco had not been a virgin like she was when that happened. He lost it to an extremely beautiful younger girl in their sixth year while Pansy was still dating him.

It was a well known fact that Draco slept around a lot. He had cheated on Pansy countless times with hundreds of girls throughout the years they had been together. She supposed it was no different now that they were engaged. Pansy wanted with all her heart to marry Draco. But she knew now that he never loved her and never would love her.

Pansy slammed her fist onto her kitchen table, making her cup of coffee spill across the wooden surface. "DAMNIT!" she cried falling into hysterical sobs. "After all I`ve done for you... All that I gave to you... I devoted my life to you!" she shouted angrily at the Draco that was not there.

_It was time to go have a visit the Malfoys.... _

  
  


Lucious stood leaning against the fireplace mantle, staring into the fire. His wife, Narcissa, was quietly sitting on the black leather sofa, stirring her tea counter-clockwise. Pansy was beside her, staring into the plush, dark-green carpet.

Lucious was speechless. He had been for several minutes. A few times he had opened his mouth as if to say something, only to close it again. Finally, the rage and shock built up for toolong and he shouted, "IMPOSSIBLE!" Which made both his wife and the frail woman next to her jump and wince. "Impossible...When did this happen?"

"Just last night," Pansy answered quietly for she was afraid to speak .

"How?"

"I do not know, sir. I walked in Draco`s dormitory and there they were, sleeping."

"No..."

"I`m afraid so, sir..."

"SHUP UP, PARKINSON!" 

"Honey..." Mrs. Malfoy began.

"YOU TOO, NARCISSA! I`LL BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU IF YOU DON`T!" His wife grimaced, remembering the last time she had spoke out. He had beaten her into oblivion. She was sore with bruises and cuts and a fractured arm for weeks. She remained deathly silent.

"Parkinson, leave," he growled from his stance. "I need to speak with my wife alone..." He looked coldly at Pansy.She nodded and, with a loud POP, she apparated back to her flat in London.

"What did you think of that news?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

""It`s horrible," she replied stiffly. _It isn`t really horrible,_ she thought secretly, _it`s fabulous. Draco shouldn`t marry that snotty little Parkinson girl anyway._

He nodded to her answer. "Do you think it is true?"

"I-I-I don`t know, Lucious... I t-think I find it r-rather hard to believe," she stuttered. "He was raised in a muggle- hating environment. He said himself that he hated mudbloods... that whole ordeal with that Hermione Granger girl..."

"Yes, yes..." his grey eyes glinted. "Fetch me that weird mirror of yours," he spat, "Let`s see who this mudblood is."

Narcissa nodded and left to go get her magical mirror. She would have used magic, but Lucious had taken her wand from her ten years ago and hid it from her so she would not rebel against him. Within moments, she returned with a medium-sized mirror that glowed an eerie green. Ot showed whoever you wished to see and what they were doing.

Lucious quickly snatched it from her grasp. "Show me Draco Malfoy," he said in a monotone voice. Both he and Narcissa gaped at the picture the mirror displayed. There was their son, making love on his kitchen table to a mudblood. 

Narcissa turned away and cover her mouth and closed her eyes. She did not wish to see her son making love to anyone... She was happy, however, that he was not with that Parkinson girl. She hope that he was in love with the girl on his table and that he was happy and didn`t want to just upset his parents by sleeping with a muggle-born. Realization hit her... It was Hermione Granger- his life-long Gryffindor enemy from Hogwarts! She was shocked to her very core...

Lucious, however, was furious. He threw the mirror clear across the room, shattering it. A part of Narcissa shattered along with it- it was her only gateway to her beloved son. 

"HOW COULD HE?!" Lucious screamed. "HAD HE LEARNED NOTHING THAT I TAUGHT HIM?!"

"Maybe it`s not that bad..." his wife barely whispered.

"What did you say?" he spat venomently.

Narcissa mustered her courage up and repeated, "I said, maybe it`s not that bad. Maybe he`s in love with her."

Lucious did not feel any better; on the contrary, it made him feel much worse. Instantly, he flung his arm back and brought it down on her face, knocking her to the floor; she let out a cry of pain. 

"Since when does love matter?" he hissed. H e turned his back on his wife and began walking towards the staircase.

Narcissa was softly crying, still laying on the floor. "It used to matter...A long, long time ago..." she wept.

Lucious felt his heart break, but his legs cruelly continued walking. At that moment, the inside of his soul died at his wife`s words. They had loved each other so much before. But that was, in his own wife`s words, a long, long time ago...

  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I own the plot. All characters and names mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, her publishers, and her sponsors. Yada yada yada...**

**NOTE: Thank you people for all of your reviews!:) I love reading them all! Ash Night: WOW! Our brain waves must be connected or something! :) Anyway, for those of you who haven`t read Grey Gaze, you should. It`s my new chapter fic with a VERY unique pairing. I don`t think I`ve ever seen any fics with these two characters in it (smiles, how original of me:) PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! **

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	5. Anything for Love

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Five***

**by Ashley (Hype)**

  
  


**NOTE: I think this is my longest chapter... Thank you for all of your reviews!:)** **Elani Wrapdon, thanx for posting everything on your site! People, I do artwork as well. Please check out Elani`s site: **http://www.goldenwand.diz.nu/

Draco and Hermione were snuggled up cozily on the sofa in front of a newly lit fire very quietly. As Hermione`s rhythmic breathing slowly pulsed on Draco`s chest, Draco felt lost. He felt as if none of it was real. The reality he had known for so long and ignored finally came to rest upon his shoulders- this was not his normal self. He was extremely powerful, he was Hermione`s natural enemy and he was the heir of the Dark Empire- which was doing wonderfully now that Dumbledore was gone. However, Potter meant death to anyone in his path. Ever since that Harry Potter became the head of the Unspeakables, the Death Eaters had been mysteriously vanishing- no doubt to Potter and his league.

Ah yes... Draco knew very well of the famous Harry Potter. He had been trained to kill in every way imaginable. And since he`s such a secret and intelligent enemy, it was very rare indeed if anyone heard any true information. Not even Harry`s partners knew entirely what he was up to. Harry Potter was by far the biggest concern to the Dark Empire. They feared he was planning an intrigue that would, once again, make the empire they had built crumble into mere ashes. 

This worried Draco to a great extent. When he took over Voldemort`s army of villains and Potter ruined it again, Draco would have no where to run. He, unlike Voldemort, was not even close to immortality. True, he was even more powerful than Voldemort now, but he was not as experienced in handling an entire empireand controlling dark armies and fleets and all of those little escapades. Voldemort`s strength was slowly slipping away as time passed by... 

Draco sighed and looked down at the now sleeping Hermione. He gently stroked her face and long curly hair with the tips of his fingers. He realized then how love was truly blind. Sadly, he carried her up to his room with ease and laid her upon his bed. Love was blind. 

Malfoy sat in his library which was approximately the size of a small mansion. He had planned on proposing to Hermione in this very place a few months from now. But now he was having second thoughts. He was in love, this much he knew. It had blinded him so completely that it had shielded him from his surroundings. By now, his father knew; and if he knew, Voldemort knew. Voldemort would have the worst plan for him.

Draco looked down at his wrist, examining the thing that held him and all the vile things on the planet- the Dark Mark. It had shocked him so much that Hermione had not noticed it. Perhaps she too had been in a blur of passion and the only thing in her mind, like was in his, was to love the one you`re with. Which ever way, he knew he had to tell her about himself no matter how much it hurt them...

He walked down one of the long corridors that lead to the dormitory Hermione was sleeping in, trying to muster up his courage which normally came very naturally.

About one hundred and fifty feet or so from the door in which he was heading for, a loud crash rattled the sides of the corridor and Hermione`s scream pierced through the air. Draco ran flat out and nearly knocked the massive mahogany doors over- but it was too late. Hermione was gone.

There was a large hole in the ceiling and writing in a bright, glowing green color that stretched across his entire wall that read:

Draco Malfoy-

This is what you get for betraying me. Your mudblood lover is with me and I daresay not in good hands considering her position. Catch me if you can.

Lord V.

  
  


Draco`s eyes turned a violent purple and began to glow as they did when he became dangerously mad. _Voldemort had done this._ His first instinct was to chase after him. But by now, he was far gone. Malfoy knew that he would have to devise a brilliant plan to get Hermione back- and soon.

But who that he knew would help him get a muggle- born back? Most everyone he had ever been associated with wished for nothing more to have mudbloods wiped off the face of the universe. He pondered over this for a while and grimaced when the answer entered his mind- Harry Potter. Harry Potter would help if it was for Hermione.

But how was he supposed to reach Potter? He couldn`t very well send and owl. All owls sent to the Unspeakable location would be destroyed. Nothing ever went in and nothing ever came out.

He thought good and hard over the issue for nearly two hours. Finally, just before losing all hope, he thought of a way. He, Draco Malfoy, would change himself into the infamous Harry Potter and nearly waltz right under the security guards` noses barely noticed.

It wasn`t, however, quite that easy.Since he had none of Harry`s hair or toe nail clippings, he could not create a Polyjuice Potion. No, he certainly could not. But there was another way- a much, much older way; so old that it was considered ancient among the magic folk who knew of it (and very few did). Unfortunately, most of the ancient magical proceedings were very long and very painful. It was the spell of Nons Dea Dia- or also known as the Nineth Growth.

There were Nine Growths in the begging of magic. The first and second were physical. The third and fourth were trait. The fifth, sixth and seventh were knowledge. The eighth was power. And the last and most powerful (and difficult) of the Growths was the Nineth Growth- transformation into another being.

Draco had already preformed the growths under both his father and Voldemort`s training. All except the final growth. It was now time to complete what he had once started. But to do this, he needed his wand as one of the tools.

He fetched his wand from one of his many Gringotts vaults in nearly one hour. He apparated back to his house and began to start Nona Dea Dia. He sat in front of his large antique mirror. "Last time seeing you for a while.." he mumbled to his reflection, still uncomfortable with the idea of changing himself into his sworn enemy. He raised his wand to his face and slowly began to transform it inch by inch into the present-day hero, Harry Potter.

After four long, grueling and painful hours of transforming himself, Draco stood back and looked upon his new reflection in the mirror. _If this is Potter, then he sure has changed,_ Draco thought absently. There was a very tall, broad and muscular Harry Potter standing before him in the mirror. His hair was still wild and black and his scar, of course, was still visible upon his forhead. Draco stared at Harry. It was like facing his life-long enemy in person. Both the reflection and the newly changed Draco looked as though they were about to kill each other. Inwardly, Draco knew that he could never face Harry if he couldn`t even face Harry`s reflection. He would have to overcome this.

Draco next took his old Firebolt which he had gotten in his fifth year as a birthday prestent from an old dusty closet. He would fly to his mother where she would help him find Harry`s whereabouts with one of her magical mirrors. Of course, he couldn`t very well barge right into their home now that they knew of his lover _and_ he was disguised as the Dark Empire`s only fear...

Draco flew determinedly towards his parent`s house upon the large hill overlooking Hogsmeade. When he reached the Malfoy Estate, he circled around on his broom to the backside of the compound where, hopefully, his mother`s window was opened.

It was. As always, she kept the window open to get a nice breeze around her room. Luckily, she was faced away from him and reading through a rather large book. He quietly flew in and landed without making a sound.

Draco slowly crept up behind his unsuspecting mother and covered her mouth with the quick reflexes he had adopted from years of playing Quidditch and fighting. His mother whimpered, not seeing who it was.

"Mother, it`s me, Draco," he whispered. "I`ve completed the Nineth Growth. Please don`t scream- I`ve transformed into Harry Potter." He let go of his mother. She turned around and gasped- it certainly didn`t look like her son. Indeed, it appeared as though Harry Potter was standing before her very eyes- but she knew better.

"Draco," she hissed, " of all the people to transform into, why did you pick your enemy- that Potter boy?!"

"Mother, there is no time for that. I`m in love with a muggle-born, as you have probably heard by now. Please don`t be upset..." 

Narcissa smiled; a rare sight. "Draco, if you`re in love, do what you must by any means." 

A look of relief washed over Draco`s mask of Harry as a smile of gratitude lingered upon his lips. His face quickly turned serious again in a moment`s time. "Tell father nothing of my whereabouts, that I have visited you, or what I`m about to tell and ask of you." His mother nodded, a look of curiosity crossing her face.

After Draco had finished his story, Narcissa leaned back on her chair. "So, you want me to give you my enemy- seeing mirror?: she asked. The enemy-seeing mirror provided sight to see your enemy and a caption of what they were thinking or saying at the top and their location was displayed at the bottom. Draco needed it as one of the two main ingredients to get Hermione back safely in his arms. 

"Yes," he replied finally. " I want you to lend me your enemy- seeing mirror."

She smiled once again. "For love, anything. You know, I do believe this Hermione Granger is doing you good."

"How so?"

:You`re finally learning to love. Now that you`re learning, don`t ever forget how to. Promise me you won`t forget how to love." His mother`s eyes were distant, but her mind was clear. Sje was thinking of how Lucius used to love her, and how he had forgotten over the years. Draco nodded solemnly, a promise escaping from his throat.

"Very well then. Here it is," she pulled out a hand-held mirror from her dresser and handed it to him.

"Thank you mother. I have to go now." He kissed her cheek before flying back out the window.

Narcissa smiled, watching him ride off into the vast blue yonder of the sky. She smiled through her tears; her son was growing into a wonderful man.

  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I own the plot. All characters and names mentioned belong to J. K.** ** Rowling, her publishers, and her sponsors. Yada yada yada....**

**NOTE: Thank you for all of your reviews!:) They make me sooo happy! If you really want to make me even more happy, put me on your Author Alert! I just love knowing that someone likes my work enough to click a button!:) If you want to see me do cartwheels around the room, fill out a review!!! I don`t care if you flame the story, just as long as you tell me what went wrong:)**

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	6. Ireland

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Six***

**by Ashley (Hype)**

Draco soared high over the clouds making sure that no wizard or muggle could see him. He pulled out the mirror his mother had given him just a few moments ago. "Show me Harry Potter," he mumbled.

The mirror flashed and Potter was reviled. Draco gave his trademark smirk he was known for when her saw what was written across the top of the screen that showed what Harry was thinking. It read: _I really don`t like that guy..._ He was referring to the security guard to the left of him who appeared as smart as a toad. 

Below the caption and picture was the location- the vital aspect of which the mirror displayed. It read:_ Unknown underground catacombs in Ireland. That`s where Potter`s been hiding!_ Draco thought. Draco had spent years trying to track Harry Potter`s footsteps and where he disappeared to away from the public eye. It was some unidentified catacombs in Ireland. _Well,_ Draco thought, _if Potter`s in Ireland, then that`s where I`m going._

After a two- hour flight from Hogsmeade to Ireland, Malfoy decided to land near an abandoned castle`s ruins to rest. Draco sat himself upon a rather large slab of stone and looked around at his surroundings. Ireland was very dull, but all the same and odd feeling of beauty swept over him. It was beautifully dull with its glossy miles of plush, green grass, old cobble roads and rocky yet quaint little houses nestled upon the rolling hills. He looked across the horizon and there he spotted something coming towards him on one of the worn cobble roads. It appeared to be a muggle car of some sort.

It was. A tiny, blue car came rolling towards him. And much to his surprise, it stopped near him. A person stepped out of the old car and came to meet him. 

"Oy! Harry!" It was Seamus Finnigan. "Fancy seeing you here, chap. Taking your day off easy, eh?"

"Er...Yes. I thought I`d give my old Firebolt a ride," Draco lied.

Seamus nodded. "Aye, I see. Miss flying and the old Quidditch days, eh?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Well, would you like a ride? I reckon it`s been a while since you`ve been in a muggle car."

"Er..Yes. I`d love one."

Seamus grinned, bringing forth his boyish features he had captured during their time at Hogwarts. "Hop in, then!" Draco obliged, a bit intimidated. He had never been in a muggle car before. Seamus walked around to his side and stuck a little silver key in the ignition. The engine rumbled a bit, then gave a lurch (nearly scaring Draco half to death); sending them down the twistiong cobble road. 

"To the office, I suppose?" Seamus asked courtly.

"Yes. I need to get some work done," Draco said, trying to make conversation as Harry would. So far, Seamus showed no suspicion. 

"Harry! More work?!" Seamus sighed, glancing at Draco`s nod. "I suppose it is a bit hard.... You know, with the new assignment and all. What do you make of it?"

"Make of what?" Draco blurted subconsciously. His mind had drifted to Hermione and his worry began to set in deeper.

"Make of what?! The new assignment, of course!"

"Oh, sorry. I`m not quite sure what to think of it...."

"Aye, me neither. Tis a bit different different from the other lot."

"No kidding..." Draco filled in, hoping it made sense to the Irish man next to him. 

"Harry," Seamus began, glancing sideways at the masked Malfoy, "What`s wrong?" Seamus had obviously developed a good friend in Harry Potter since their graduation from Hogwarts. 

"I`m missing someone terribly." It was true; he missed Hermione so much...

"Hermione again? You`ve been exceedingly distant lately... Why did you leave her? She was such a good catch."

Draco nearly froze in terror. Harry left Hermione? No wonder she ran out crying when I mentioned him... Draco became aware of Seamus waiting patiently for an answer. Draco sighed, having found one. "We all hive our demons to fight; mine being the most powerful in the world. Hermione was so angelic and fragile, I didn`t want to break her. I couldn`t bare myself if my demons caused her harm." He said, meaning every word of it.

"Aye. Love is so gentle yet so harsh. I`m sorry, Harry."

"Really, it`s okay..." Draco said, trying to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

"No. Forget I ever said it." Seamus obviously felt very guilty now and did not say a word until they reached yet another pile of ruins, only this time they drew to a halt.

"Do you mind if I join you? I shouldn`t be too long. I have some...unfinished business with Lavender." Seamus winked, a twinkle in his eyes, and grinned the boyish grin once again. 

"I don`t mind. Come along, then. I`m in a bit of a hurry," Draco called, getting out of the muggle car, Seamus following his suit.

It was not long before Draco and Seamus came across the first guard. "What`s the password?" the guard asked. Draco recognized him as the guard as smart as a toad. Draco moved his hand in an arching slow motion, putting the guard in a trance. "Whatever I say it is. Now let us pass," Draco Malfoy said in a monotone voice. The guard nodded incoherently as Draco and Seamus passed him. 

"What was that?" Seamus asked, excitement rising in his voice.

"A little spell I created. Pretty useful, eh? Sort of a nicer Imperius curse."

"I`ll say. Why did you use it?"

"It needs a bit of practice. The people I`ve used it on tend to drool while they`re in the trance. It`s a bit disgusting, don`t you think?" Seamus nodded, steeling a look at the guard who was forming a growing puddle of drool on his desk, as they approached yet another desk. Lavender Brown was sitting behind it. She smiled slyly at Seamus, then turned her lovely head to the disguised Draco.

"Harry, isn`t today your day off?"

"Yes. But I have a bit of work to do." Draco covered. 

"Harry! You should ease up a bit. Don`t worry, though. You`re not the only one. Darkbane is really getting worked up over the new assignment. Then again, he always does." she sighed.

He grinned and added, "He sure does. Well, I must get to my work."

"Very well then," she smiled. "I suppose you would like to know where your office if today?"

Draco almost faltered. _Where my room is today? This place must really have high security..._ He smiled, covering his faulty. "Yes, that would be a bit helpful."

She nodded and scanned the records of the day. "Hmmm... Third floor down, third door on the right. Oh, and don`t worry, your puzzle hasn`t changed yet."

"Thanks."

"You`re quite welcome as always, Harry."

He smile. Seamus looked eager now that the conversation was over. "So, Lavender," He began smoothly, "We needed to talk..."

She giggled, "My break is in ten minutes. Be patient!"

Draco walked away from the obvious "secret" couple in the direction in which he hope was the stairway to the third floor down.

  
  


Hermione woke up, nearly freezing. She looked around at her disposition and was painfully reminded of where she was. She was locked away in some dungeon Voldemort had literally thrown her in. When she was thrown in, her head had smashed up against the cold stone wall; knocking her unconscious. She didn`t remember anything after that. 

Her head pounded to her heart`s rhythm. Luckily, she found no wounds other than bruises. One was a large reddish- purple one she had discovered on the side of her right arm. She winced just looking at it; though she only felt mild pain from the welt. She wished she could have fixed her wounds. She would have in an instant, though her wand was missing. Lord Voldemort had taken it from her while she was unconscious. 

Hermione became very frightened as she became aware of all the vile things around her; the rats, human skeletons, snakes (which she noticed where all among a poisonous species) and worst of all- the smell. There was a terrible smell that of which seemed of dead corpses that overpowered the dungeon`s musty air. Her insides curdled at the smell and sight. She began to shiver as the creatures in the room drew nearer to her, though she did not dare to move. 

She forced her thoughts to Draco. _Was this his doing?_ She shook her head. _No... he said he loved me._ _But,_ she shuddered, _was he_ _just using her?_ She tried to decide. His steely gray- blue eyes floated amongst her shattered thoughts; they never lied. His eyes never lied. As stoic as his face may get, his eyes never once lied. He loved her. 

Then thoughts of Harry Potter swept into her head. She smiled. Harry Potter. She had worshiped the ground he walked on as he did her. They had spent long nights together during Hogwarts and after just talking; though other nights there were more...

It was amazing how anyone could talk to Harry (except for Ginny when she was younger). He was truly a nice and decent person. His confident and believing attitude, her proud way of carrying himself, and his carefree style just made him damn near irresistible.

It was this that really attracted women other than his fame. Perhaps a little too much, though. Harry was constantly nagged in both the wizarding and muggle worlds by mobs of women. It had always surprised Hermione and Ron how he never took it seriously. He was so very naive in school. This was, she supposed, the reason behind his boyish yet brave aspects.

However, as soon as he was out of Hogwarts, he was offered several jobs. One was the Minister of Magic because during one of the battles, Cornielius Fudge died. Several were Quidditch positions on various teams as Seeker. Even though it greatly appealed to Harry, he turned them down. Harry Potter wished to fight for the Light Side in some way. A Seeker wasn`t necessarily a fighting position.

Other careers offered where things such as general of the wizard army (which he was quick to say no too; it was a bit much and an easy was to commit suicide), a reporter, even Headmaster of many schools; including Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore, their beloved Headmaster, passed away from age after their seventh year. After Harry denied the position (for he was too tired of school to spend the rest of his life in one), they later found Minerva McGonagall to fill the position. 

One day, he received a letter asking him if he would like to be an Unspeakable- no job description was attached. They wouldn`t tell him what they did- it was "unspeakable" until he entered the service. Naively, Harry agreed to join. He soon found that Unspeakable were an elite group of secret agents that were under top security and secretly fought against the Dark Empire. So secret, in fact, that some of the agents were registered in Voldemort`s inner circle, working against him right under his long and pointy nose.

  
  


Harry Potter, of course, couldn`t be one of these inner circle members. He was far to recognizable from his fame. However, he was very highly respected after his training course on killing. The course included to kill with pain, without pain, slowly, in a split second, how to do it, torturing, tools, and without sound. He passed with the highest mark of anyone who had ever gone through the training. He was quickly promoted to the Head of the Unspeakables when he beat the highest- trained person to go through the circuit. The person he beat was put to be Potter`s partner on all assigned projects. His name was known as "Darkbane". That`s when Harry left Hermione Granger.

Hermione swallowed hard, trying not to cry there in the foul dungeon; fearing what might happen if she did.

  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I own the plot! All characters and names mentioned with the exclusion of Darkbane belong to J.K. Rowling, her publishers, and her sponsors. Yada yada yada....**

**NOTE: Well, a new character will enter in the next chapter. Who will it be? Harry? Darkbane? Who is this "Darkbane"? Tell me who you think it might be in your review! Besides, I really wanna see what you (the reader) thinks of this story and/or this chapter! I NEEAD FEEDBACK!!! It`s my source of writing energy.:)**

  
  


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	7. Cells, Dungeons, and Catacombs

**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Seven***

**by Ashley (Hype)**

  
  


Draco headed down three flights of stairs deep into the insides of the catacombs. Luckily, he saw no one on the way. He looked to the sides of the long, narrow stone corridors. Occasionally, there were puddles or drips of water that he came across. He carried a torch in his left hand while his other hand went unoccupied.

After walking fifty yards or so down the dank tunnel, Draco came across the first door on his right. It seemed as though there was some kind of a puzzle upon it; undoubtedly like there would be on Potter`s door. Of course, he assumed that Harry`s puzzle would be much more complicated than this one. Draco Malfoy did not stop long, only for a matter of seconds, before he resumed walking.

It was a good two hundred yards walk down the dimly lit path before he reached the third door on the right of the third floor down. And, as he had predicted earlier, there before him on the entire surface of the door was an extremely complex-looking puzzle. Draco sighed and leaned against the opposite wall so he was facing the puzzle-covered door. Thoughts endlessly chased each other in his mind as he mused over the puzzle that was shown before Harry`s brilliant green eyes.

The puzzle consisted of thousands of green lights of various sizes and shapes. There were eight red lights bigger than the rest. Draco sighed. This wasn`t going to be easy. To him, it looked like hundreds upon thousands of fairy lights settled on the surface of a door.

Malfoy folded his arms across his chest, leaning his head back until it slightly hit the stone wall behind him. Draco let his disguised green eyes slowly blur as he looked at the lights... Then something happened. The lights began to move, forming letters, then words, then whole sentences...

Draco stared unbelievingly, trying not to break the blur in his eyes for the fear that they would certainly vanish. And there it was- a question- formed by green lights when only Harry`s eyes became blurred only to a certain point. The question read:_ What did I see one morning as I lay in bed before I left? _If he had not hated Harry Potter so much, he would have admired his work. It was brilliant.

Draco`s thoughts began to race, much as if they were horses in a jocky race finishing the last stretch. _Left for what? What morning?..._ Draco racked his brain for answers. _Let`s see_..._What did Harry leave?_ Draco smirked._ His life, for one thing._ _His house, his friends..._ The answer slapped Draco so hard that he stumbled back a bit before the wall caught his back. His friend- his girlfriend... "Hermione," his voice cracked.

Nothing happened. He repeated the answer more clearly. Again, nothing happened. He frowned, knowing his answer was correct. Perhaps it had something to do with the lights. Maybe he had to arrange them to form his answer...But which lights? The red ones, of course, Draco thought, scolding himself for his temporary stupidity. He walked up to the door and reached for one of the red lights. Instantaneously, it formed an "M". He reached for another; it changed to an "O". Red light after red light changed into a letter as soon as his fingers touched it. He was left with eight letters : M, O, H, E, I, N, E, and R. The answer flashed quickly in his mind- _unscramble it. _

He did, spelling Hermione`s name. Quickly, all of the lights vanished and a screen appeared, asking him to place his eyes to the screen for a retinal scanning. Whatever a retinal screening was was beyond Draco; however, he obliged, knowing it was Harry`s eyes instead of his. Next, it asked him for a finger to be placed on the screen to test for fingerprints. Draco held up one of Harry`s hands and noticed that Harry had no fingerprints what so ever. He smirked at that moment and thought, no wonder I couldn`t track the bloody bastard. He shrugged and placed an index finger to the screen, hopping it was what the puzzle was looking for. 

The door stood still. Draco would have reached for the handle, but this door didn`t have one. Then, quite suddenly, the door disappeared. Fearing it would come back soon, he wasted no time walking into Harry Potter`s office room. As soon as he had his other foot in the door, the missing door reappeared. There was no seem in the wall from where the door was. 

It was an interesting room. It was lavishly furnished in deep crimson and gold furniture and walls. There were several muggle paintings by some Leonardo DaVinci and a rather large collection of sketches by another muggle artist, this one being titled "Rembrandt".

Draco let his eyes settle on two massive mahogany shelves behind Potter`s desk which were covered with little knick- knacks, keepsakes, odd metallic items that were spinning and twisting maddly and one considerably noticeable picture of Harry and Hermione holding each other. Their eyes seemed to smile into his own masked ones, but Draco`s did not match their jubilant expressions. 

His eyes scanned the other side of the room and was somewhat surprised to find a prison cell. It seemed every out of place amongst the ornate room. Beside the cell was a small table which had, as Draco easily recognized, torturing tools of various sorts. Next to it was a bookcase that shelves reached the ceiling that contained books on everything from psychology to how to kill witches and wizards. He even noticed several Dark Art books that he had studied and practiced. 

Draco did not like this feature of the room, for it instantly brought back memories of his childhood. He turned away and walked across the room to Harry`s desk. 

Sitting down in Potter`s tall leather chair, he looked at the desk`s surface. It was strewn with doodles of people and creatures, all of which were labeled, classified, and color- coded. To what, he did not know; though he was curious. His eyes roamed and fell on the picture which was nestled neatly in the center of the desk. It was a picture of Harry and Hermione. A grinning Harry was holding Hermione in his arms, who was smiling_ very_ happily, a large diamond on her ring finger on her left hand in which she held out as if to show whoever passed how beautiful the rock truly was. Draco Malfoy was utterly horrified.

Draco had no time to truly react to the picture. He sensed someone approaching with an immense power and confidence. On instinct, he focused his energies on the oncoming force, poised to strike and stun what he supposed would be Harry Potter.

The door opened and a tall, dark figure entered the room. At once, Draco hurtled his energies from his palm to the figure, who dropped to the floor instantly. Cautiously approaching the figure, he saw that it was indeed the famous Harry Potter. And he knew that no matter how strong he may have stunned him, it wouldn`t hold off such a power as Harry`s for long. 

Draco levitated Harry in the air and opened the door to the unoccupied prison cell, placing Harry in it. Draco pull a spell that would make Potter speechless do he couldn`t scream of talk back when he awoke from the stun. And, of course, before closing the door, he checked to get Harry`s wand. He was disappointed when he did not find one. Now he just had to wait for the stun to wear off before he began to explain the situation to his arch enemy...

It didn`t take long, perhaps two minutes or so, before Harry was fully conscious and pacing the cell, his green eyes never leaving the ones that were watching him. It was as if Harry were looking at him self; and in a way, he was. By the look in Harry Potter`s eyes, the cell`s steel bars were the only thing keeping him from killing Draco Malfoy. Of course, he wouldn`t know it would be Draco he`d be killing. If he knew, perhaps the bars wouldn`t matter. Harry had wanted to kill Draco since the first day he had met him, even the steel bars couldn`t hold that grudge. Still, Harry paced back and forth in the cage- like prison cell, striking a resemblance to a impatient tiger in a zoo. Even his eyes looked like a tiger`s before it was about to pounce on an unsuspecting prey. 

Draco decided it was time to start explaining. "You`re not seeing things, Potter. I appear to be you- I made sure of that."

Harry stopped his pacing and stared at the person before him with eager eyes, waiting for more.

"I see I have your undivided attention now," Draco went on. "I`m your life-long enemy way back from our old school days. Ring a bell, Potter?"

Harry`s eyes grew wide, them squeezed with hatred, making his eyes appear as green, snake-like slits. Apparently, the bars did hold something. Or at least they held Harry, for he did not attempt to fight past them. Draco figured that they were enchanted; he was right. 

"That`s right, Potter. It`s Draco Malfoy." If it at all seemed possible, Harry`s face grew even more grim than before. Draco could feel Harry`s hatred for him surging strongly from Potter in the very air around him. However, Draco tried not to pay attention to it and turned to the more serious matter at hand. "Potter, there`s no time to waste by hating me now. Hermione`s in trouble. She`s not in the best of company. Now, I`ll take that spell off of you, but if you sick your dogs on me, I`ll reduce you to a pile of smouldering ashes; and you know I would, too."

Harry nodded and Draco released the spell, but left Harry in the cell as a precaution. Harry`s severe features that had shown seconds ago softened. "What happened to her?"

"I`ll explain on the way. You must come with me. We have to save her from Death`s fingers."

Potter`s eyes widened, but his severe features returned, making his jew look extremely square-looking.

With a swift movement of his hand, Draco separated the bars, emitting Harry to join him. "I assume your belongings are at your house?"

"Some," Harry`s baritone voice mumbled as he began to take miscellaneous objects from around the room, including some tools from the torturing table. Harry turned to Draco, holding a gruesome metallic tool and said, " Just in case you get out of line." Draco couldn`t distinguish wether or not he was serious. He decided not to stay on it. Harry went back to collecting things, heading over to the DaVinci painting and moving it to reveal a safe.

A retinal scan from Harry`s eyes opened it and Harry pulled out a silvery sheet of something from it. Harry walked over to his desk and grabbed the picture Draco had been horrified by earlier. While he was approaching Draco, Draco`s eyes lit with recognition when he realized the silvery material Harry was holding was an Invisibility Cloak. 

"I`ll use this to get out of here," Harry began. "Malfoy, tell Lavender that you`re taking two weeks to do some work away from the office for the new assignment. Will it take any longer than two weeks?" he inquired.

"No. At least, I hope not."

"Good. Tell her that you will find a way to notify her if any changes occur."

Draco nodded. Harry pulled the cloak over himself, instantly becoming invisible. The two temporarily identical men walked out through the door, only one of them being noticed. Before Harry was fully out, he grabbed one last object- a small metallic cube- and put it into the pocket of his black robes.

Draco and the unnoticed Harry walked up to the front desk in which Lavender and Seamus were in...er...deep conversation...

"Ahem.." Draco cleared his throat, looking at a...distracted Lavender Brown. "_AHEM!_" He attempted again. This time he caught her attention. She blushed.

"Oh!...Hi, Harry...Leaving so soon?" She asked, buttoning the top buttons of her shirt back in their place. Seamus was looking extremely disappointed at her movements.

"Yes. I`m taking two weeks off to work on the new assignment. I`ll find a way to contact you if any changes occur."

"Alright, Harry, have fun!"

He grinned, looking at her with a knowing face. "You too."

Lavender only blushed more and Draco and Harry turned to leave. They could hear Seamus shout a muffled, "I`ll make sure she will!" before Lavender burst into a series of giggles. The two disguised Harrys shook their heads and laughed, walking back out into the daylight. However, in the back of their minds, they grimaced, hoping Hermione Granger was alright.

  
  


Lord Voldemort sat in front of a green fire, contemplating over the Malfoys and the Dark Empire. Draco was to be filling his role as the ruler of the Dark Empire very soon. But a new problem has raised its ugly face. Draco had fallen for a muggle- born. It was this that deeply perturbed him. Killing mudbloods was the sole purpose of his dark armies. And here his successor had fallen for one.

But how? Draco Malfoy had be brought up in a society that despised all muggles of any shape or form. How could the boy have grown to love one? Or was he just using her? Tom Riddle tried to convince himself that this was what had happened, what Draco was doing-_ using her._ Just as he had done countless times before throughout his life. Draco had used both pure bloods and muggle- born women since he was fifteen. He broke many hearts, making sure to stomp on them properly, shattering them into little pieces before he skipped off to find another woman. Perhaps this Hermione Granger was no different from the rest? It would probably give Draco great pleasure to seduce his enemy then crush her emotions by giving her to the Dark Side to dispose of. It could very well be true. After all, all the Malfoys he had ever met were that way and had been since the beginning of their existence. The Malfoys had some pretty harsh blood in them, including veela and vampire. But then again, maybe not... 

Voldemort closed his snake-like eyes and sighed. What would he do with Draco? He was his only successor that could keep the empire stable; perhaps even more powerful. Draco was in a dead-lock tie for the most powerful wizard. One being Draco, the other Harry Potter.

Voldemort`s face turned to an even more terrible scowl, scrunching his long pointy nose up. _Harry Potter._ He was no longer i the public`s view, though they often wrote about him. They called him their only hope and the "General of the Light." However, no one had seen him in years. Or at least, never spoken to him. There were very few acclaimed glimpses of him all over the world, though none of them could be verified.

Draco and Harry had been enemies since they met. They would, as everyone figured, be enemies for the rest of their lives. The fact would gain more momentum over the years as they grew older into their age. Draco would be the leader of the Dark Side, Harry Potter the leader of the Light Side. Constant fights between their armies and each other would keep their childhood grudge up an running until the day they died. _And it is such as shame, _thought Tom, _that they are so_ _evenly matched. _

Voldemort let out a frustrated sigh and thought, _Shit... All that I have spent my life on building depends on two little boys.._.

  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I own the plot. All characters and names mentioned in this chapter belong to J. K. Rowling, her publishers and her sponsors. Yada yada yada....**

  
  


**NOTE: Yes, I know Voldie doesn`t have a pointy nose. Well, times have changed and Voldie decided to upgrade his physical profile and give himself a nose.:) Anyways, two new characters entered! Yippie! The plot is going somewhere now!:) BTW, Darkbane will be coming in the next chapter, I think. Anyways, he`s a really cool character. You`ll love him, I promise! As always, please review. Anything is welcome under my roof:)**

**WAIT!!! I`M NOT DONE!!! ***composes herself**** Okay, I`m thinking of doing a Sirius comedy (boy, that sounds funny!) Anywho, it`ll be a romantic comedy. Anyone up for Dead Sexy Sirius? Let me know.**

**WAIT!!!! I`M STILL NOT DONE!!!! Trust me, this one`s really good. I drew a picture of a shirtless Draco!!! And trust me, it`s flawless. If there`s one thing I pride myself in, it`s art. Go see it at Elani Wrapdon`s page: [][1]******http://www.goldenwand.diz.nu/ **Tell me if you like it! (It`s under submitted art, the artist is Ashley).**

   [1]: http://www.goldenwand.diz.nu/



	8. Darkbane Caves

  
  


**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Eight***

**by Ashley (Hype)**

  
  


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**NOTE: Before I get pelted with tomatoes from this chapter`s late appearance, I would like to say: I`M SO SORRY!!!! It`s a thing called writer`s block and placement finals! EEEEKKK!!! ***dodges the flying object being thrown*****

  
  


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Hermione sat shivering slightly- partly because it was cold and the other part being there was a thick black snake circling around her feet. She was holding up pretty well considering the conditions. Instead of clinging to old memories, she racked her brain for ways to escape. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that it was virtually impossible to escape from Voldemort`s dungeons; but still, it was _virtually _impossible- which meant there _was_ a way.

Her mind, somewhere along the way, had woven a path to Draco. Where was Draco? Shouldn`t he be saving me? She thought, a pout forming on her mouth. It was then that Harry flashed into her mind, for he always saved her. Always him, shining in his brilliance. She wished she could see him again. A million questions of Harry flooded her mind. And just the same, a million thoughts and memories answered them. When she admitted that she still loved him after all this time, the same thoughts and memories calmed her from her nerves, which seemed to be ebbing away slowly. However, in the furthest corner of her mind, she knew she loved Draco too.

  
  


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Harry flew alongside, but slightly in front of, Draco Malfoy. It was too bad Draco didn`t know where Harry`s flat was, or they could have apperated there. It also seemed that Harry had misplaced his usual stock of Floo powder.

Potter sighed. _What isDraco up to? Was he just trying to lead me to Voldemort`s hands?_ Harry shook his head mentally, leaving the thought behind. No, Draco wouldn`t let him go pack his bags if he was going to visit Voldemort. _Or is Hermione really in trouble?_ He prayed that she was okay...

Hermione`s safety was the reason he had left her. Fearing for Hermione`s life, he left her. If someone from the Dark Side found that he had a fiancé or wife, they would steal her away from him, having the ransom be himself. The last thing he wanted was for Hermione to be harmed. As quick and smart as she was, she still did not know the traits of war. If she was to come across a Death Eater, she would be rendered hopeless. As powerful as she was, white magic was simply weaker than dark arts, no exceptions applied. 

As strong as Harry was, he had often cried over leaving her- his fiancé. He wanted to spend the rest of his life and everything after by her side. Every moment he was away from her his soul seemed to crumble as the days passed by. It tore him in two, half of him miserable, the other half strong.

Harry stooped down beneath the clouds, Draco following in suit. Squinting their eyes, they could see an enormous figure through the mist of the mountains. As they approached it, Draco saw the distortion turn into a castle- an enormous one at that. It was at least three times the size of the Malfoy Manor- nearly as large as Hogwarts!

From perched atop a mountain side, the castle showed its magnificent face. It was perhaps a dozen stories tall with four sky-scrapping towers and a massive balcony that over looked the English-style gardens down the mountain side. It was the most glorious castle Draco had ever laid eyes on. Apparently, Harry had become very, very wealthy over the years.

Draco and Harry landed at the front doors of the castle. Harry muttered several things, taking the hexes, curses and spells off of the doors. He opened them, emitting them amongst the contents of the castle which were even more beautiful. Draco walked in awe, though he desperately tried to hide it. 

"So Potter, where did you get the Galleons for this lot?" he asked.

"Some friends and I chipped in so we could all live here," he stated plainly as if it was nothing. 

"Must have been a big lot to chip in for this, eh?"

"Only four people, Malfoy," said Harry, looking at Draco over the rim of his glasses. "Wait here." Draco nodded and Harry apperated out of site with a POP.

Draco spotted a large chair down a long corridor not too far from where he was standing. He walked over and set himself down onto the plush, red velvet of the seat and closed his eyes, trying to relax.

"Oy! Harry! Surprised to find you here!"

Draco`s eyes shot open at the voice. There before him was none other than Ron Weasely. 

"What are you doing here?" Draco spat before he could stop himself.

Ron took no notice to the harshness in his voice and laughed. "Well, same as you, I suppose- living here and all. How`s life treating you lately?"

Draco was in shock. Why wasn`t Weasley hating him now? Then it hit him- he still appeared as Harry. He let out a sigh of relief. "No so good, actually."

"Why not?"

"Oh, everything..."

"It`s Hermione, isn`t it?"

How true that was...He nodded.

"Sorry, Harry. Well, I haven`t much time. I`ve got a show in London in about thirty minutes. I need to leave. Perhaps a chat later?"

"I`ll be gone..."

"Oh. The job, yes? Well, some other time then." With that said, Ron apperated out of sight.

Just as Weasley left, Harry returned with no luggage. 

"Not bringing anything?"

Harry shook his head. "Oh no, I have my luggage." He held out a small brown cube that slightly resembled a trunk. "I shrunk it. I try to travel light."

Draco nodded, remembering the charm Harry had used. "Well, speaking of traveling, it`s time we go. I know a forest relatively near Voldemort`s quarters, the Oakland Mountain forests. We can use a portkey to get there. I set one up before I left the mansion," Draco stated. Harry nodded as Draco pulled out a coffee mug. As soon as Harry touched it, the familiar hook came behind their navels and they began to spin.

  
  


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Lucius Malfoy paced his dimly lit room, occasionally coughing, questioning his son`s state. He had just told Voldemort of Draco`s mudblood lover. Voldemort had had the same reaction as Lucius had. Draco Malfoy had been like his son. Voldemort nearly raised him himself into his ways. Lucius had merely been like a master, an assistant even, teaching him the darker magic of the world...

Lucius knew very well that he was crumbling emotionally, mentally, and physically. He was going to die young- it was a long-kept Malfoy tradition. The entire Malfoy family had been bred very close. Most of the marriages were arranged through three strictly pure-blood families. Heath problems began to arise and were passed down through the families,. The problems worsened over the years, making the life expectancy less and less each generation. Lucius`s turn was next. 

Draco was, in fact, the only hope to live longer than the rest. Lucius had been the first person to marry out of the three families. Narcissa was half veela, making Draco part veela. Everyone knew that veelas live to be about five hundred, so with the Malfoy`s life expectancy to be fifty and the veela`s life expectancy to be about five hundred, Draco could very well live to be over two hundred and fifty years old. And, much to Draco`s great pleasure, he would not age as a normal wizard would, for veelas were beautiful until the day they die. Once grown out of puberty, they would remain as they look until they day they died.

He had never told Draco this information, for it would interfere with Draco`s work in the Dark Arts. If Draco ever knew that he was going to live to be over two hundred, he would have procrastinated his work, never gaining any ground with the Dark Empire all the while.

But it seemed now that Draco did not concentrate on the Dark Empire has he had hope he would. Draco seemed to be focusing far more on women than anything else. This wasn`t the only time Draco had been found cheating on Pansy with a mudblood. It was, however, the first time he had been caught with a life-long enemy associated with the Light Side _and_ Harry Potter. This Hermione Granger could find information about the Dark Empire`s plans or whereabouts and tell them to Potter.

Potter was referred to "Death" amongst Voldemort`s alliances. Potter and his unruly crew of Unspeakables had killed 43% of the Empire`s forces. If he were to get a hold of the information Granger could tell him, they would be defeated by Potter`s armies. That`s why he turned Granger over to Voldemort`s hands to dispose of her.

He had a feeling about this mudblood. His son was in love with her. She was very strong-willed, which explained his son`s attraction to her. He had always had obedient women that didn`t stray far from your side. Much like Draco`s working conditions, he liked a good chase. A strong-willed, muggle-born life-long enemy from the Light Side was quite a chase, he knew. But somewhere along that chase, Draco had fallen for her as if she was a forbidden precious jewel he could never touch, and he a poor beggar. Two people from two different worlds intertwined together in an everlasting path- a path leading to destruction.

Draco`s womanizing wasn`t the only thing on Lucius Malfoy`s mind. Narcissa had crept into his thoughts many times since there previous fight. God, how he loved her she would never know. It pained him to hurt her in any way. He only did it to make Draco stronger; as he was instructed to do by Lord Voldemort. Voldemort would have punished him or Draco or think of them as weak. Therefor, he beat Narcissa in front of Draco to make him stronger. He would force Draco to beat her when he was younger, too. He knew it hurt Draco very much to hurt her, for he cried when he did. Afterwards, when the darker hours came and he thought his father wasn`t watching, Draco would creep up into her room and nurse her back to health.

Draco Malfoy had a deep love for his mother- he had since he was a very small child. It was times when Draco nursed her that Lucius saw that his son was indeed human, for he often appeared, much like himself, a power-hungry evil wizard.

  
  


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Sirius Black was crouched down by his hand-made fire in the middle of a cave up on a ridge. Even though his name had been cleared, he had become much like a mountain man you read about in a book of Canadian legends. He liked it there, being on a mountain and out in the wilderness. He could do whatever he wished because his career allowed him to.

He liked his job very much. He was a spy for the Unspeakables and had adopted the name of Darkbane. He was his godson`s partner in crime- the infamous person who sailed through the Unspeakable training with flying colors. Only one person surpassed him- his own godson and great friend- Harry Potter.

He was in the Oakland Mountain forests for his new assignment. The new assignment had caused quite a stir-up amongst the Unspeakable who knew of it, and not many did. If they did know of it, it was by telepathic communications. It was there most serious and forthright assignment they had ever received- to kill Lord Voldemort. He was getting weaker, as Sirius had observed, with each day. The spies that were in Voldemort`s inner circle were to call a face conference with Voldemort. They would enter the building without killing the guards, as to not cause a disturbance. Then, once inside, they were to kill all who crossed there path. The guards would never alert Voldemort because they would never know of it. 

Voldemort was often talking to Sirius of his successor. Amazingly, Sirius had entered the Dark Circle under the name of Jack Darkbane. He recalled how easy it was to slip into the Empire and become Voldemort`s trusted advisor. His tall, dark and mysterious appearance and background allowed him to do so. The Dark Empire would admit nearly anyone who went to Azkaban for killing people and escape and go on the run for years. It was lucky for Sirius that he had been able to hide his real identity without anybody within Voldemort`s realm turning any suspicions.

Sirius sighed, resting his back against the cave`s walls. Harry and Draco should be arriving soon.

  
  


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Harry and Draco landed, thankfully, on their feet in a cave. Both of them stood up and dusted their robes off, taking in their surroundings. Or at least, what they could. For the most part, the cave was completely black, save a small fire in the center of the cave floor, which was laden with thin, dusty, rust-colored dirt ans a few dry, crumpled up brown leaves.

"I`ve been expecting you," came a low, husky voice from one of the opposite corners of the cave completely sealed with black darkness, making Harry jump a considerable amount out of his shoes.

"I know," replied Draco, who seemed as calm and collected as he ever was. "Jack, how long have you been here?"

"An hour or so in time," came the voice again, whose tall dark figure was stepping towards the fire`s orange light.

"Jack, don`t kill Harry. He`s here for a good reason."

"To save Granger, I know. Tell me, do you expect to change into your old appearance anytime soon?" drawled Jack`s low voice. Draco shot a look that could easily be read as: "shut up."

Harry shook his head, flinging his unruly black hair back and forth. He had been confused at first, but now he realized what was going on. Malfoy didn`t know who Darkbane really was. Therefor, he must have set up a port key that would take him to his cave where they could plot to save Hermione. If anyone besides Voldemort knew where Hermione was, it would be Voldemort`s advisor- "Jack Darkbane." It was brilliant, and for a quick second, Harry slightly admired Draco`s handiwork.

"Alright. Down to business. How are we going to do this?" Sirius crossed his arms infront of his chest, obviously waiting for their answer.

"Well, we can`t very well go in there," Draco began. "If I go, he will kill Hermione. If Potter goes... Well, look at him! _He_ can`t go in _there!_ I was hoping you would have some ideas..."

"Change yourself in to me or sneak in. You are familiar with the grounds," Sirius growled.

It was time for Harry to step in. "We`ll creep in," he grinned, bringing out the only boyish feature left on his face- his smile. It was almost... innocent. _Almost._

Malfoy began to panic. "_Creep in there?!_ You`ve _got_ to be having me on, Potter! The place is oozing Death Eaters! How on earth will _you and I_ get past _them_?!"

Harry grinned. "Naturally, that`s my job."

Sirius smiled gleefully, though it was barely visible in the dim light of the fire. "The Potter boy is right," he chimed. "If you change yourself in to me, Voldemort would be talking your ear off... Chatty little fellow, he is. There is no way possible you could break Granger free with Voldemort standing next to you. The only way is to sneak in and-"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME IF WE`RE CAUGHT?!" Draco screamed, a bit too loudly considering the fact they were in a small cave. His hysterical outburst of fury and panic sent the cave into echos.

Harry grinned mischievously. "_If_ we`re caught..."

  
  


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Lord Voldemort`s head appeared in Jack Darkbane`s fireplace with a loud POP. "JACK!" he called. No answer. "JACK?" No answer. "JACK?! ARE YOU HERE?" he screamed into the room, his thundering voice echoing through the empty walls of the house. "JACK?" he screamed, trying one last time. Odd, no answer came. Voldemort returned to where he previously was... Back into his room.

He sat down on his tall, throne-like leather chair. _How odd,_ he thought,_ Jack is always home... Where could he be? Perhaps he is meeting with someone. But with who? Surely my advisor would have told me..._ Sranding again, he decided to check on the mudblood girl. Quickly, he left his study in route to the dungeons underneath his fortress.

It was drafty in the dungeons. Cold, dark, and smelled of rotting flesh and food. He smiled at the thought of it. Surely everyone despised it, which was all the better to bring true misery to the residents of the prison chambers. Voldemort continued down the twisting, narrow steps with his black robes billowing behind him from his fast pace. Dim green lights flashed over him occasionally as he passed the light bulbs that were dangling loosely in their sockets, giving the walls and eerie green glow.

Voldemort had taken special care of constructing his dungeons when building the fortress, for it would be the aspect most used in the entire structure. Each room had a spell that would surround its occupant with their worst fears. He smiled, knowing that Hermione was surrounded by numerous snakes and rodents.

He turned around the corner of one of the stone corridors, bringing him to face Granger`s cell. He walked towards the door and opened it, revealing a rather broken girl. She had tear stains down her face with her legs drawn up to he chest. He eyes seemed distant, but they soon focused on Voldemort. Tremors began to quake through her tiny body as his cold red eyes stared into hers. He smiled wickedly, showing his jagged, yellow-green teeth.

"Hello there," he said, his voice mellow and dangerously quiet.

Hermione nodded defiantly and he raised an eyebrow, surprised at her. "Why don`t you just kill me?" she asked, he voice not quavering a bit.

He smiled at her spunk. This one was rather feisty. His raspy monotone voice spoke: "Nothing would give me more pleasure than to dispose of you now, my dear. However, I have plans for you."

"What plans, exactly?"

"Plans that I would rather not discuss with you."

"Why not? It would probably make my stay here even worse knowing what you`re going to do with me," she stated, as if daring him to tell her.

"Girl, you are on dangerous grounds," he snarled, becoming agitated by her defiant antics. "I advise you push no further, for what I could do is far worse than even you could imagine. If you must know, I like to keep my audience in suspense. I will keep you alive and guessing... for a while."

Hermione certainly did not enjoy those last three words. She was grateful, though, for they were followed by a small plate of food by her side. She looked up from it, only to find the Dark Lord had disappeared. Looking back down at her food, she realized she was ravenous and began to eat the two pieces of bread and three strawberries off the plate. 

  
  


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**DISCLAIMER: I own the plot. Otherwise, all hail the Queen of all Really Great Books, J. K. Rowling.**

  
  


**NOTE: So you finally met Darkbane... Or whom many refer to as Dead Sexy Sirius. Hmm... And the plot thickens. Just a forewarning, I will be making the chapters longer in order to fit everything within 15 chapters...Hope that doesn`t bother you. BTW, I`m sorry I have taken_ soooooo_ long in posting this chapter. I had one nasty grapple with the infamous writer`s block. I think the last time I posted this was sometime back in January... So sorry! I`m kicking myself into over drive, I promise! Whenever I finish this fic, in the last chapter I will post a thanks to every single person who reviewed this story... Just because I love feedback. Speaking in the feedback spirit, do review!!!:) `Til next!**


	9. Silence is Explosive

  
  


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**Dark Wind**

***Chapter Nine***

Silence is Explosive

**By Hype **

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**NOTE: All right, I finally have the time to write the rest of this story now that school is out.:) **I am REALLY sorry for being so late with this chapter!!!** Also, the chapters will start to become longer... I suppose I just feel like writing...finally.**

  
  


****WAIT!!! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME BAD LANGUAGE!!! Heh, if that offends you, I hope you can live with it...Just so you know.:)****

  
  


Sirius Black sat on the cave floor looking at the two people across from him with an amused expression on his face. Utter silence surrounded them in the cave, all save the crackling and hissing of the dying fire. Harry and Draco had not spoken to each other since they had found that the both of them where in love with Hermione, which had been about an hour ago. Sirius had been wondering when Harry would ask why Draco was concerned about Hermione`s well-being. When Draco had answered that he was seeing Hermione and was in love with her, Harry was crushed, and then blinded by angry emotions and launched a fight with him. Sirius had to physically separate them as so many of their professors had done for the duration of their time at Hogwarts. 

Harry had settled in one corner, Draco in the opposite. Their eyes had not moved from each other`s since then. Sirius chuckled at the two...They hadn't`t changed much over the years. It reminded him of the days when James Potter and Severus Snape fought. Sirius smiled for a brief moment as he remembered James. Harry had turned out to look exactly like his father apart from the startling green eyes and the little lightning bolt scar. It almost pained Sirius to be reminded of James each time he saw Harry, but he was glad it had turned out that way. In a sense, it was as if James was reincarnated and was living as his own godson. 

Draco Malfoy sat in the corner opposite of Harry, loathing him to the utmost extent. He had always hated Harry; the predicament that they were in made him hate Harry even more, and he was absolutely positive that the feeling was mutual. Draco`s face gave into his familiar scowl, though it didn't`t look quite the same as he still had Harry`s face. Harry wanted to _marry_ Hermione..._Potter doesn't`t deserve her,_ he thought angrily. _He left her. If he really loved her than he wouldn't`t have left her. She deserves better than that..._ And then his conscience kicked in: _she deserves better than you._ Draco scowl deepened, and he tried to get his mind back on Harry`s devious was. _And here I thought Gryffindors were suppose to be brave and loyal...._ He snorted in disgust, but it just didn't`t feel right through Harry`s nose.

Harry`s brilliant green eyes stared into Draco`s, or what appeared to be his own. He noticed how piercing his own eyes were...Eyes that had seen a thousand triumphs and a million deaths stared into him, giving him an almost hollow feeling. Harry supposed being hollow wouldn't be a bad trade right about now....Then again, he thought of Hermione and his hollowness began to ebb away. She had always soothed his worst days, making them just seem like wisps of gray smoke over a cloudy background. He really did love her, and he only hoped that she could forgive him one day for what he had done. 

However, forgiving didn't`t seem to be the way between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. It was Sirius who realized this and decided to do something about it."Boys," he began, catching their attention, though their eyes still remained lock on one another's. "Hermione Granger will die if you stay there staring at each other like that. Let`s get this plot over with before I have to open a can of whoop-ass on you two little boys," he said, not even flinching.

  
  


That really caught their attention. The two quickly turned their heads towards the tall figure standing across the dimming fire at the mention of being called little boys. Harry had to stop himself from bursting out in laughter. _Sirius is a really good actor,_ Harry mused. Draco didn't`t find it humorous in the slightest. In fact, he found it quite the opposite. He took it literally. _It was time to start making progress..._

  
  
  
  


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Pansy Parkinson sat dumbfounded in her kitchen chair. She had just realized who Draco had slept with. It was one of their old school enemies- Hermione Granger. _Hermione fucking Granger, _she thought angrily. She turned her mug of coffee around in her hands idly, and then looked around her quaint flat. She felt numb, full of no feeling at all. She couldn't`t even begin to comprehend the situation. Her brown eyes wondered over the scenery in her kitchen, or rather lack of. Her flat was rather plain, and she had insisted on it being that way, though her mother constantly took the liberty of telling her it was ugly. But Pansy liked it plain; plain, just as her life was; plain and full of no meaning or importance of any kind. That was why she wanted to marry Malfoy: to be of importance, to mean something in society. 

She looked back into her coffee, whose perfect blackness reflected her feeling. She sighed. _What is happening to Draco?_ she wondered. Had he really fallen for his enemy? The very thought of him doing so made her shiver. _If Draco really loves that mudblood, then he surely wouldn't`t be the successor to the Dark Throne, would he? If he didn't`t, then what would happen to him, or yet worse, what would happen to me? _

She didn't`t know, nor did she really want to know. All she knew was that she wanted revenge on Granger for clouding her and Draco`s future together. She grinned insanely, seeing her way to get that sweet revenge. Hermione Granger wouldn't look so pretty when Pansy Parkinson was done with her. Parkinson got up from her little chair and walked to the bathroom to look into the mirror and rehearse what she would say to the Dark Lord. 

Pansy frowned when she looked into the mirror. She had large bags under her eyes and her cheeks had dried mascara stains upon them from when she cried over Draco and what would never be hers. Her blonde hair was in no better condition. A few dark blonde wisps of hair hung limply around her face, making her look all the more miserable. Her hair looked very deshelved from tangling her fingers in it in frustration and anguish. She opened her mouth to inspect her teeth, which weren't any better than the rest of her. They stood in crooked rows and were beginning to yellow around the edges. She frowned, then reached for her cosmetics bag. She had a lot of work to do before she went to see Voldemort.

  
  


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Narcissa sat on the black leather couch just outside of her husband`s room desperately attempting to wipe away the steady flow of tear cascading down her cheeks with her embroidered handkerchief. Lucius Malfoy, her life-long companion, was slowly dying; he had been for the last few years. Just in the last two months had it gotten really serious. He would often have to stop and rest while he was walking down the corridors. He would cough for long periods of time during meals, as if he were choking the food down. Some days he would simply stay locked in his room, too weak to move from his bed. 

She didn't want him to die. No matter what he did or how much he hurt her, she didn't want him to die. Narcissa was still in love with the man she had married thirty-two years ago when she was still in her early twenties. And somewhere, in the very bottom hollow of her heart, she felt that he still loved her too. 

A voice called from inside the room, weak but loud, "Narcissa!" Her head slowly lifted from its downward position and her blue eyes shifted away from the green marble floor. It was Lucius. She got up from the couch slowly, walked to the opposite side of the corridor, and opened the mahogany door that lead to his bed chambers. Lucius Malfoy was on his throne-like bed, spread limply across the dark green covers and pillows. It took all she had not to start crying again. 

"Yes?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Lucius`s throat made a raspy, wheezing sound and he began to speak. "I`m going to die very soon...." 

That was it; Narcissa had a steady flow of tears down her face. Lucius frowned, then motioned for her to come forward. She obliged, and he moved over on his bed to make room for her. Narcissa was stunned at this gesture, for Lucius Malfoy hadn't`t comforted her since her miscarriage that occurred two years after Draco`s birth. Slowly, cautiously, she began to climb onto the bed until she was laying next to him. He slid his arm under her neck and turned her head to face him. Gently, he wiped away the tears that were there with his thumb though it was in vain, for they were quickly replaced with new ones. He withdrew his hand, seeing that it would be of no real use.

He let out a long, low, rattling sigh. "It has come to my attention that our son does not want to spend his life ruling the Dark Side. There is no point," he caused to let out a violent cough, "There is no point in arguing for it is an obvious fact. He dreads going to the Dark Lord`s fort each day. He is no longer interested in the pure wizard blood that he has inherited. A new age has dawned and, though we have been fighting it somewhat successfully, it will overcome us; it is only a matter of time. Each year the line between muggle-borns and pure-bloods grows thinner. However, Draco will stay on the Dark Side as long as Voldemort lives."

Narcissa sighed sadly. "Can`t he just leave it?"

Lucius frowned. "He can`t get out now... None of us will ever get out." Lucius began to twitch, and Narcissa sat up in alarm, looking down in pure terror at her husband. The twitching got worse, and Lucius began to cough violently. "Get out," he said through his raspy throat. Narcissa didn't`t budge, nor did her facial expression. "GET OUT!" he repeated, this time nearly screaming it. Narcissa jumped off the bed, startled, and ran out of the room, her husband`s wheezing following in her ears. 

Once she was in her room she grabbed her parchment and dipped her white quill into the thick, black ink of her ink bottle. She leaned over the parchment and bit her lip as she pressed the quill down onto the parchment, trying to control her shaking hand. In the end, she managed to write:

_D.M.-_

_Your father is dying. He needs to speak with you... I`m afraid he won`t last for long._

_Love,_

_Mother_

  
  


She hurriedly attached the note to her old eagle owl and told him to find Draco and deliver the message as quickly as possible. When the owl had flown out her white-draped window, Narcissa laid herself down on her bed and cried, thinking of how the time was slipping away from her. 

  
  
  
  


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Draco Malfoy, who had taken the last hour to restore his own body in replacement of Harry Potter`s, broke off a small branch from a nearby tree and went back into the cave were Darkbane and Potter were waiting for him. Since he had insisted on not using his wand to draw the plans up on the dirt floor, Darkbane had ordered him to get a branch from outside if he wanted to argue about it. Draco had obeyed, for he just wanted to be away from Harry Potter for just one moment. If the moment was a forced moment, then so be it, for it was still away from Potter. Draco sat down on a small log that would later be used for the fire and handed the branch to who he thought was a man named Jack Darkbane. Sirius took it and began to draw a series of circles and lines in the soft dirt of the cave floor.

"Here," he said, drawing a large circle, "is the Dark Lord`s fort. And here," he said, drawing yet another circle bit further away and much smaller, "is this cave. Voldemort has Death Eater guards all around the perimeter, each of them about twenty feet apart. They have occasional breaks when only one person leaves the perimeter for about ten minutes and then returns. That leaves us ten minutes to get through a forty-foot gap undetected. Are you two following me?"

Harry and Draco nodded obediently.

"Now," he said, pointing to a corrdinence on the opposite side of their circle from where their cave was positioned, "this area is densely covered with trees and a bunch of over-grown garden shit, making it a bit easier to sneak in. The guard that is positioned there leaves at approximately a quarter past two in the morning and returns around twenty-five past each night. There are only three entrances to the inside of his fortress. One is the main entrance in which his visitor go through, and another is the back door for secret exchanges. Both of these are _heavily_ guarded."

"And the third entrance?" Harry asked, not skipping a beat.

"The third entrance isn't guarded at all. No one except Voldemort and myself know about it. It`s an escape route Voldemort secretly constructed himself. I found it by accident one day while I was visiting. It`s a tunnel that leads directly to Voldemort`s dormitory, though there were several doors along the sides of the tunnel I did not investigate. The entrance of it is very hard to find, much like the entrance of Diagon Alley, only much more complicated and not nearly as famous. There is a sequence to opening it by tapping your wand. Do either of you two have a piece of parchment?"

"I do," Harry replied, pulling out his shrunken suitcase from his pocket. He tapped it with his wand and it grew to its regular size. Opening the trunk, he pulled out a sheaf of parchment and a Bergen`s Automatic Ink Specialized Quill. "What`s the sequence?"

Sirius cleared his throat. "When you get past the guard, go forward ten paces. On the left you will see a trail of tiny mushrooms. Follow them. They will lead you to a small log. Malfoy, you will need to tap the largest branch on the left side of it."

"Why can`t I tap it?" Harry asked.

"The log is wired to dark magic. If you touch it, an alarm will go off."

Harry nodded. "Right, then. Continue."

Sirius nodded and went on. "After it`s tapped, look down. There will be a small, and I mean _small, _green arrow that will point out which way to go. Walk fifteen paces and turn to the right. You will see a large oak tree that is very large at the base and very small at the top, kind of resembling the shape of a pair fruit. There should be a big wooden knot in the center of it. Are you getting this, Potter?"

Harry nodded feverishly, scribbling the sequence quickly in order to keep up with Sirius`s fast talking.

"Draco will tap the knot three times at four second intervals exactly. The tree will open up and a steep staircase going down underground will appear. You two will follow it and it will lead you to what you might think is a dead end. Don`t be fooled. Draco, tap the wall in front of you five times at nine second intervals. It will open to the tunnel I told you of-"

"What happens if you don`t tap it at the right intervals?"

"You`ll be splinched and cremated," Sirius answered. 

Harry winced slightly, and Draco nodded understandingly.

"Anyway, once you`re inside, I can no longer help you."

Harry looked like he wanted to say something, but he paused. "We won`t need any help once we`re inside," Harry decided.

Draco looked at Harry quizzically. "We won`t?"

Harry pulled out the small metallic cube he had taken from a counter in his office before leaving. "We won't," he stated, completely sure of himself. "Not with this on out side."

"Well, you keep that with you then," Draco said, thinking Harry had completely flown off his hinges this time. He didn't see how a small metal cube could help anybody at all. Just then, a familiar eagle owl flew in and landed on Draco`s lap, making him jump. He looked down and quickly recognized it as his mother`s. The owl had his leg outstretched, holding some parchment, and looking up at him. Draco untied the letter freeing the owl's leg. He read the letter and looked up at Darkbane and Potter, his face completely devoid of expression.

_"My father is dying."_

  
  
  
  


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Hermione woke up in the dungeon cell screaming, then immediately stopped herself when she remembered the vile things around her. She had the dream again; the dream that pulled her away from her lover. She figured it had to mean something....But she couldn't`t think of anything that the dream could represent besides her current position, but when she had been taken from Draco, it did not feel the same as the dream had. The dream had been more painful- much more painful.

Knowing all was hopeless, Hermione sighed in exasperation. She knew she loved both Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, and it had come to her attention that neither of them really deserved her. Both of them had hurt her so much in the past. Then again, everyone makes mistakes, don`t they?

  
  


She looked down and saw a snake slide through her foot. She blinked and looked back at the snake. _Did I just see what I though I saw?_ she asked herself, almost afraid to answer. _A snake just went _through_ my foot. _She paused, letting it sink in. _ Wait a minute!_ she thought, _If that was real, then all of these creatures are illusions...._

Hermione decided to test her theory. She decided she would rather touch a rat than a snake- just in case the were actually real. She looked around the dark, stone chamber which was only lit by two small torches and saw a rat. It was halfway across the room. Unfortunately, her path to it was swarming with snakes. Hermione swallowed hard, really hoping that the snakes were an illusion. She began to slowly go towards the rat, who appeared to be eating the remainder of the bread crumbs off her plate, trying carefully not to step on anything that would bite her. A few launched towards her attempting to bite her ankles, but she successfully dodged them and reached the rat.

Looking down at the rat, she noticed that it didn't`t seem to see her for it didn't`t move as she closed in around it. Rather, it still sat nibbling on the bread crumbs. Hermione reached down with trembling fingers towards the rat. Never in a million years did Hermione think she would voluntarily touch a rat; nonetheless, she did, or at least attempted to. Her theory was confirmed when her fingers went right through the specimen. She turned around and touched a snake, finding that it was she same as the rat. She touched another, and it was still the same result. Relief washed over her face. It was all an illusion created by Voldemort.

_It was all an illusion._ She smiled and walked freely around the room, stepping wherever she pleased. "It isn't`t real," she whispered. The creatures vanished instantly. The only thing that remained in the room was a small plate which held a few crumbs. She smiled again. Her mental block was over, leaving her to be fearless.

  
  
  
  


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Pansy Parkinson walked up confidently to Voldemort`s fortress whereupon a burly guard in a black and red uniform cloak stopped her. "What`s your business here?" he asked gruffly, staring down at her.

"I need to see the Dark Lord."

The guard chuckled at her confidence. "And what make you think you can do that? Hell, even I haven`t seen him!" he spat.

Pansy`s face showed no emotion as she held out her left wrist, burned and ugly with the Dark Mark, and said, "I am the heir`s fiancé. Let me pass or Draco Malfoy will shred you to tiny pieces and feed you to his pet dragon. I`m sure Killer will just love meat like your's. You don`t want that, do you?"

The guard looked nervously at the Dark Mark burned upon her wrist. He would not have been nervous if the skull on the Dark Mark didn't`t have a crown on it like her`s, which meant that she was in the Royal Circle of Voldemort`s Death Eaters. The guard glanced back over his shoulder at another guard behind him as if to ask a question. He must have for the guard nodded. They let Pansy Parkinson past them, emitting her into Voldemort`s fortress. 

Pansy smirked as she passed them. Draco didn't`t have a pet dragon named Killer, and she wasn't`t exactly his fiance anymore either. 

  
  
  
  


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Sirius and Harry stared at Draco, both thinking the same thing, only Harry was the one to actually say it: "So what? He isn't`t exactly what anyone could call a saint...Hell, he`s loads closer to Satan himself..."

"And he isn't`t very helpful or nice or anything," Sirius added. "He`s a prat...insolent as hell."

Draco stared blankly at them. "He is my father."

Harry looked as though he were in deep thought. "Well, I suppose it makes sense that only he could produce something like you, right? So I suppose that is perfectly valid. Come to think of it-"

"Oh, stuff it, Potter," Draco said coldly, though it would have sounded childish if it wasn't`t for the eye daggers Draco was giving Harry now.

"Look, Malfoy, I know he`s your dad and all," Harry started, but was fiercely interrupted by Draco, whose face had turned so serious it would have made the Wall of China crumble to ruins.

"He is not my _dad, _Potter. He is my _father. _Daddies act one way and fathers act another. My father strictly regards me as a biological son. Being the heir that Voldemort chose for his throne just gets me on his good side, if you could even say he has a good side. My father despises me, Potter."

Sirius and Harry stared at him, almost afraid to speak. The air between them was so tense that it seemed as though it would explode. The explosion seemed to Potter first, as always.

"So does that mean you`re going to see him or not? You said he hates you, and so do I; either way, you`re completely unwanted-"

"Shut it, Potter!" Sirius snapped.

"It`s either Hermione or your father. Choose now," Harry finished. Sirius shot him a powerful do-that-again-and-I`ll-kill-you look.

Draco`s eyes turned purple again, slightly alarming the two wizards across from him. He spoke very quietly, making him barely audible over the crackling of the fire. "No fair, Potter. No fair. My father is my blood; Hermione is my heart. You can`t ask me to choose between them and you know it." It was true. Nearly anything Draco said was true. He did not lie, and they all knew it.

Sirius looked at the two young men, who had resumed to shooting more eye daggers at each other. He sighed, running his worn hand through his jet-black hair. "Boys, we are getting ourselves absolutely nowhere. Draco, apparate to your father. Say a few words and apparate back here by midnight."

"That only gives me two hours," Draco said stonily.

Sirius grinned. "The I suggest you leave soon. Potter will start the mission without you if you aren't back by then. If he saves Hermione," said Sirius, jabbing his thumb in Harry`s direction, "I don`t reckon she`ll think of you in the highest regards, will she?"

Sirius barely had time to finish before the POP of Draco apparating out of the cave sounded. 

Harry looked at his godfather and laughed. "You`ve really gotten everyone on the Dark Side convinced haven`t you, Jack Darkbane?"

"I know, I know...Harry, be quiet about it around Malfoy, okay? He doesn't`t know who I really am."

"Isn't`t that obvious, Sirius? I`ve been trying really hard just to call you Jack!"

Sirius`s grin faded. "Just keep it down, all right? If Draco finds out, he won't help us. We _need_ him on this mission."

  
  
  
  


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Voldemort paced the room like an impatient tiger waiting to be fed, occasionally glancing at the frail, blonde woman on the opposite side of the room, standing impatiently, her robes dangerously revealing and her painted dark red lips in a pout- it was hard for him to refuse. Pansy Parkinson may have been a dumb blonde, but she was a rather attractive one; at least, to him she was.

"All right," he said, finally giving in and stopping his pacing. "Go and see her. Tell the guard I sent you. If he gives you any trouble, tell me and I`ll dispose of him."Pansy flashed a suggesting smile at him and left the room, swaying her hips a bit more than usual. 

Pansy made her way to the dungeons, an evil grin spreading across her face. She was going to pay a little visit to Hermione. A visit which, of course, she would win, seeing as she had a wand and poor Hermione Granger didn't`t. How sweet revenge truly was.

Winding through the long, narrow, stone corridors, she finally reached the door that lead to Voldemort`s dungeons. She paused before opening it, making absolute sure that she wanted to go in there, for there was a strong, horrible odor seeping through the old, rotting wooden door. Deciding it was now or never, she flung the door open. The smell was, in very mild terminology, excruciatingly horrid. It was the stench of rotting flesh. She gasped for fresh air, but her needs were not satisfied as her lungs received the stale, foul air. She then remembered reading somewhere that ninety percent of your taste is based on smell, and she couldn't help but agree with that now. It was as if she was kissing a guy who had eaten a pound of garlic and twenty bags of rotten eggs the night before and not brushed his teeth in the morning.

Still, she went on, both hands on the handrail and carefully placing one foot in front of the other as she descended down the small, narrow, steep and slippery steps. Also, she could barely see where she was going as there wasn't really any light. She would have reached for her wand if it meant that she didn't have to let go of the handrail. She looked ahead and saw that she was approaching a corner. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't for a bright green light glowing from around the other side of it. Curious, she turned around the corner and felt something hard hit her face. She heard herself scream as she fell back onto the floor in surprise and hit her head. Everything went black.

  
  
  
  


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Draco Malfoy apparated to the Malfoy Estate, which was delicately placed atop a hill over looking Hogsmeade. He made no waste of time as he instantly started walking down the main corridor to his father`s room, pausing once to looking in a mirror and make absolute sure that he did not look like Harry Potter anymore and too fix his already-perfect hair. His fast pace, to an ordinary person, would have seemed to get him nowhere, but Draco was used to the long corridors that the house held in its walls. Indeed, the hall was long, but he was gaining ground. After five minutes of walking, he came to his father`s large mahogany door; outside of it stood his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, who was silently crying. In a flash, Draco drew her up into a swift hug and then kissed her on the cheek. 

"How is he?" he asked, looking down into the water blue eyes of his mother, who was about a head shorter than him.

She sniffed and drew out her beloved embroidered handkerchief and blew her nose. "Go and see for yourself, Draco," she said quietly, her nose still buried in the handkerchief. 

He nodded, opened the door, and walked in, leaving his mother outside of his father`s bed chamber. He strode silently into the room, his black leather shoes moving soundlessly across the plush black carpet, and stopped at the foot of his father`s bed, completely unaffected by Lucius`s appearance. Lucius had large bags under his eyes and he seemed paler than usual, which was hard to accomplish. Lucius lifted his shaking hand and gestured for the nurse at his bedside to leave. The nurse nodded obediently and left the two alone. 

"You wanted to speak to me father," asked Draco; it had been meant as a question, but came out sounding like a statement. 

"Don`t be so harsh, Draco," said Lucius harshly.

  
  


Draco was tempted to call him a hypocrite. Instead, he retorted with: "Well, what do you expect me to be after the way you raised me?" Draco's jaw clenched tightly, making his jaw look impossibly square. 

Lucius sighed. "Don`t be like this."

"Be like what, father? Like you? Honestly, what did you expect? _Bloody Gildory fucking Lockheart?_" Draco snapped, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"No-"

"Then what?"

"I expected you to be what you are," said Lucius, wheezing slightly as he said it. Draco rolled his eyes. "To be high in society," Lucius continued. "And you are, Draco. That`s all I wanted...That`s all I expected."

Draco snorted."Oh, please...Why did you badger me about discipline? Why did you beat mother and me? I remember when I was sixteen and you said that I wasn't`t good enough._ I wasn't`t fucking good enough._ Isn't`t second in my year good enough for you? Isn't`t captain _and _seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team good enough for you? Isn't`t being the _only_ heir of the _fucking _Dark Throne good enough for you? And what about mom? Is _she _good enough for you?!" Draco shouted angrily.

"_Don`t you bring your mother into this!_" hissed Lucius, sitting up in his bed. "Listen here, Draco, I am still your father-"

Draco scowled deeply. Draco never remembered a scowl that felt as right as this one did in his life. "You never were my father." With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him and making a painting of himself when he was younger on the outside wall by his mother fall out of its place. The painting caught on the corner of a chair and the canvas tore. Draco stormed twenty feet away from the door and down the corridor before he turned back and came back up to the door and screamed as loud as possible,_ "I`LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU DIE!!!" _ The sound of an expensive vase breaking against the door was heard. Draco turned around, pause to look at his startled mother, and proceeded to storm down the hall, a long string of obscenities flowing from his mouth.

Inside his room, Lucius began to cry out of both anger and remorse. "I was just trying to be his father..." he said to no one in particular. 

Outside of his room, Narcissa picked up the torn painting. The painting was of Draco when he was about six or seven; suitably enough, he wasn't`t smiling. The rip in the canvas slashed thru Draco`s young complexion. "My, my," she sighed, "what a broken childhood that boy has." She shook her had sadly and place the canvas back on the wall.

  
  
  
  


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**DISCLAIMER: It`s not all mine, but the plot is.**

  
  


**NOTE: I AM SOOOOO VERY SORRY FOR TAKING SUCH A LONG TIME TO POST THIS CHAPTER! Hell, to post anything, actually. Anywho, I`m back and summer break is here, and that means** **I have much more time on my hands to write, so you can expect a lot more work out of me.:) Also, I`m looking for a beta for this story. If you`re interested, just say so and I`ll contact you or you could email me. Either way, I do need one. On a final note, I`ve put a ton of work into this chapter, so, naturally, I want you to review. *smiles sweetly* Or else.**

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**_SO DON`T BE A CHICKEN, LEAVE A REVIEW!!!!!_** (there was a question as to whether or not you actually get chicken by Al, and the answer is: do you really want it? I`m sure that by the time I ship it to you, it could very well be green. However, if green chicken is what you want, be my guest. I will send you a green chicken, and that`s got to be worth something on ebay.:)


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